Content start here

Congratulations USC Gould School of Law Class of 2024 graduates! The law school will be hosting two separate ceremonies on the same day, one for Undergraduate and JD students and one for Graduate & International Programs (G&IP) students.

Friday, May 10, 2024
USC University Village Great Lawn

The G&IP ceremony is for students who have earned or are graduating with the following master's degrees in December 2023, May 2024, and August 2024:

  • Master of Laws (LLM)
  • Master of Laws in Alternative Dispute Resolution (LLM in ADR)
  • Master of Laws in International Business and Economic Law (LLM in IBEL)
  • Master of Laws in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity (LLM in PLCS)
  • Master of Studies in Law (MSL)
  • Master of Comparative Law (MCL)
  • Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR)
  • Master of International Trade Law and Economics (MITLE)
  • Master of Science in Innovation Economics, Law and Regulation (MIELR)

Students earning a standalone graduate certificate do not participate in Commencement ceremonies at the university or the law school.

JD & Undergraduate Schedule

JD and undergraduate students should arrive at the USC University Village Great Lawn no later than 10:00 a.m. to check-in. 

10:00 a.m. PT
Undergrad and JD Check-in at the USC Village Great Lawn entrance

11:00 a.m. -1:30 p.m. PT
Undergrad and JD Ceremony at the USC University Village Great Lawn

G&IP Schedule

G&IP students should arrive at the USC University Village Great Lawn no later than 2:00 p.m. to check-in.

2:00 p.m. PT
G&IP Check-in at the USC University Village Great Lawn entrance

3:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. PT
G&IP Ceremony at the USC University Village Great Lawn

Ceremony Location

The Undergraduate and JD ceremony and the G&IP ceremony will both take place at the USC University Village Great Lawn.

The USC University Village is adjacent to the USC campus. Please note: Safety measures, including a clear bag policy, will be in effect. Please visit commencement.usc.edu for information.

Download Maps:

University Commencement Programming and Information

For more information, please visit USC's Commencement website.

JD & Undergraduate Commencement Speaker

The Hon. Goodwin Liu

Associate Justice, California Supreme Court

Read Bio toggle arrow icon

Goodwin Liu is an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court. He was nominated by Governor Jerry Brown and sworn into office in 2011, and retained by the electorate in 2014 and 2022.

Before joining the state’s highest court, Justice Liu was Professor of Law and Associate Dean at the UC Berkeley School of Law. His areas of expertise span constitutional law, education law and policy, and diversity in the legal profession.

He is an elected member and chair of the board of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He is also an elected member of the American Law Institute and American Philosophical Society, in addition to having served on the board of numerous service organizations and academic institutions.

The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Justice Liu grew up in Sacramento and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stanford, master’s degrees in philosophy and physiology from Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, and JD from Yale. He clerked for Judge David Tatel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U.S. Supreme Court.

His accomplished legal career also includes practicing at O’Melveny & Myers, serving in the U.S. Department of Education, and helping launch the AmeriCorps national service program.

G&IP Commencement Speaker

Elizabeth (Liz) Atlee, JD 1993

Senior Vice President and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, CBRE
Board of Councilors Member, USC Gould School of Law

Read Bio toggle arrow icon

A leading practitioner at the intersection of law, business and global policy, Liz Atlee oversees CBRE’s expansive global Ethics and Compliance Program.

Her role includes identifying risks, and preventing and correcting noncompliance with laws, regulatory requirements, policies and procedures. She also has oversight of the firm’s data protection and privacy programs, which ensure compliance with domestic and international regulations. Previously, Atlee served as CBRE’s Deputy General Counsel of Global Litigation, Employment, and Intellectual Property and Data.

As a champion for elevating underrepresented voices, Atlee has been honored with the Professional Achievement Award from the Mexican American Bar Foundation. She has also been recognized three times as one of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas in business, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement by the Association of Latino Professionals for America.

Her notable service includes leadership roles on the USC Gould Board of Councilors; Latino Corporate Directors Association; non-partisan community organization, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE); CBRE’s executive inclusion council; CBRE’s Hispanic/Latine Employee Resource Group (as executive sponsor); and CBRE’s Women’s Network Advisory Board. In 2021, she and her husband Steve (JD 1990) established the Elizabeth and Steve Atlee Endowed Scholarship, which supports Latino students at USC Gould.

Atlee earned her JD from USC Gould and BA in political science from Yale.

Regalia and Commencement Materials

View the rental and purchasing options below to get started. Feel free to email questions to the bookstore grad team at [email protected]

Undergrad students

BLACK USC logoed Bachelor gown, no hood, and black cap with a BLACK tassel with USC signet.

JD students

RED doctoral gown, a DARK PURPLE (not lavender) hood, and a YELLOW (not black) tassel.

LLM, LLM in ADR, LLM in IBEL, LLM in PLCS, MSL, MCL, MDR, MITLE or MIELR students

BLACK master’s degree gown, a DARK PURPLE (not lavender) hood and a BLACK tassel.

Note: All rented regalia should be returned directly after the ceremony at a designated regalia drop-off bin.

Cap and Gown Rentals toggle arrow icon

All graduates can place their regalia rental orders online. Click here to begin your order. 

  • Graduates are encouraged to pre-order their cap and gown rental. The bookstore will have a limited supply of regalia available for walk-ins beginning May 6.
  • Pre-order and walk-in orders are available for pick-up beginning May 6. Distribution of regalia will be held outside on the bookstore patio. View more information here.
  • If you have pre-ordered your regalia, you'll need your ID (student or government issued). It always helps to have your order confirmation from Herff Jones.
  • All caps are one size fits all. Students can keep their cap and tassel as a souvenir.
  • All rented regalia should be returned directly after the ceremony at a designated regalia drop-off bin.

    • Undergrad students: BLACK USC logoed Bachelor gown, no hood, and black cap with a BLACK tassel with USC signet.
    • JD students: RED doctoral gown, a DARK PURPLE (not lavender) hood, and a YELLOW (not black) tassel.
    • LLM, LLM in ADR, LLM in IBEL, LLM in PLCS, MSL, MCL, MDR, MITLE or MIELR students: BLACK master's degree gown, a DARK PURPLE (not lavender) hood and a BLACK tassel.
Regalia for Purchase toggle arrow icon
  • All items are available for purchase online. This includes masters and doctoral regalia. Click here to begin your order
  • JD students have the option to purchase a Tam, if preferred, over the red mortar board cap. Tams are available in size 6 7/8 up to 7 ½. Shipping is free and curbside pick-up is available as well. Click here to order your Tam.
Sashes toggle arrow icon
  • All students in all degree levels can wear sashes.
  • Standard sashes are $54.99, available in store and online. Click here to purchase your sash.
  • Custom sash pricing begins at $75. Deadline to order a custom sash is March 22nd in order to receive it in time for Commencement.
Diploma Covers toggle arrow icon

You will be given a complimentary diploma cover from the law school during the graduation ceremony.

Announcements, Rings and Diploma Frames toggle arrow icon

Official graduation announcements, rings, and diploma frames are sold by Herff Jones and should be ordered through USC's Commencement Accessories webpage.

Day-Of Information

Please read the following important information to plan your commencement day.

Attire toggle arrow icon

We strongly advise all graduates to wear flat, comfortable shoes in order to navigate the grassy area and the steps leading up to the stage.

Parking and Public Transportation toggle arrow icon

Parking will be available free of charge and is on a first come, first served basis. The closest parking to the USC University Village will be the Shrine Parking Structure and the Royal Street Structure (for ADA parking). Click here for a campus map.

For information about parking, rideshare options and public transit, please visit the USC Commencement Parking and Transit web page.

Guest Seating toggle arrow icon

Guests will be able to secure seats on a first come, first served basis. We ask that your family and friends take only the seats they will use so that we are able to provide seating for everyone. Law school staff members will be available to answer questions and direct your guests.

Wheelchair Seating toggle arrow icon

If someone in your group will require wheelchair seating at the law school ceremony, please contact the law school Events Office [email protected] by Wednesday, May 1. Wheelchair seating must be reserved through this office in advance and is limited to (2) people per graduate in an effort to accommodate all requests.

If your guest will require a wheelchair, you will need to provide one or rent one in advance. The law school and the University will not have wheelchairs.

Balloons and Air Horns toggle arrow icon

Balloons and air horns will NOT be permitted in the general area.

Photographer toggle arrow icon

A professional photography service, GradImages, will be at the ceremony taking pictures of each graduate. Several days after the ceremony, the photographer will send, via regular mail and email, free color proofs to each graduate with an offer to purchase prints.

GradImages

Social Media toggle arrow icon

Please share USC Gould commencement photos and stories with #GouldGrad.

Rain Contingency Plan toggle arrow icon

The ceremony will take place rain or shine. If severe or inclement weather is at risk of becoming hazardous, a rain contingency plan will go into effect. Details of the rain plan will then be posted on the law school website and an email will be sent to all graduates. If you have questions regarding inclement weather prior to event day, contact the law school Events Office at [email protected].

USC Health and Safety Protocols toggle arrow icon

As public health guidance may be updated, please refer to the USC COVID-19 website for the most up-to-date health policies and safety information.

Contact Us

For questions regarding commencement, please contact the USC Gould Events Office at [email protected].

 

Follow USC Gould on Social Media