Law School Commencement
Commencement is a ceremony to celebrate, honor and recognize our graduates who have completed the requirements of the Master of Laws Degree, Juris Doctor, or Master of Studies in Law. The Master of Laws Degree (LL.M.) degree prepares students for leadership roles in the global legal market. The Master of Laws is an internationally recognized postgraduate law degree. It is designed for international attorneys who are interested in receiving a degree in American law and the U.S. legal system. The Juris Doctor (J.D.) is the first earned law degree with two to three years of post-baccalaureate study. The Master of Studies in Law (M.S.L.) is designed primarily for students who have already established a career in a profession where they will benefit from having an additional background in legal studies.
The University has commencement celebrations at the end of the fall and spring semesters (December and May). Students completing degree requirements during the summer term will participate in spring commencement. Students planning to participate in their commencement ceremony must submit their application for Master of Laws Degree, Juris Doctor Degree, or Master of Studies in Law Degree to Donna Haverkamp, the Student Records Administrator in Room 204 by the deadline for the semester they plan to graduate:
Fall - Last business day of March
Spring & Summer - Last business day of October
Commencement Ceremony Dates
|
Fall |
Spring |
|
Postponed (2020) |
Saturday, May 15, 2021 |
Questions
Law students or family members with questions regarding Law School graduation events should contact:
- Cory Payne, Commencement Coordinator, Admissions Office, cory.payne@washburn.edu or (785) 670-1185.
- Emily Schneider, Administrative Specialist, Dean's Office, emily.schneider@washburn.edu or (785) 670-2160.
- Jo Hunt, Associate Dean for Administration, Room 219A, jo.hunt@washburn.edu or (785) 670-1859.
If you have questions about whether you have completed all requirements for graduation in December, you should contact:
- Donna Haverkamp, Student Records Administrator, Room 204, donna.haverkamp@washburn.edu or (785) 670-1661.
Short URL for this page:
https://washburnlaw.edu/commencement
- Obtaining a Transcript
- Registrars Office
- Official Transcript Form - to request an official transcript in person
- National Clearinghouse - to request an official transcript online
- Bar Exam Preparation and Program at Washburn Law
- Certification forms to take the bar exam in states other than Kansas should be turned in to Donna Haverkamp in Room 204.
- Copies of your law school application can be requested from Donna Haverkamp in Room 204.
Each fall and spring semester law school staff host a meeting for graduating law students to update them about requirements for graduation, commencement, and the bar exam. Below are links to the meeting handouts.
- Graduation and Post-Graduation Procedures (127 KB PDF)
- Graduation Checklist: J.D. (100 KB PDF) | LL.M. (73 KB PDF)
- Bar Exam Profile Form (86 KB PDF)
- Bar Exam Application Checklist (194 KB PDF)
- Bar Exam State Application Information (182 KB PDF)
- Bar Exam Loan Providers and Information (116 KB PDF)
- Graduate and Employment Form (complete and submit online starting about March 1)
Watch video from spring 2021 meeting (56:46).
• Professor Griggs at 1:00
• Dean King at 13:28
• Ms. Haverkamp at 22:40
• Dean Hunt at 35:20
May 2021 commencement can be watched live on YouTube beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 15.
- LL.M. (73 KB PDF)
- J.D. (100 KB PDF)
Note: If you took a hybrid course or participated in a competition prior to fall 2019 these may fulfill J.D. requirements. See Donna Haverkamp with questions. - M.S.L
Upper Level Certification Forms:
- Oral Presentation (33 KB PDF)
- Writing Presentation (33 KB PDF)
