Frequently Asked Questions:

Updated as of 11-12-09:

Cap & Gown
Q. When will I receive my cap and gown?
A. Commencement regalia--caps, gowns, and hoods--will be distributed in the spring semester, at the Law School. Exact times and location will be announced in the web portal.

Q: Do I have to pay for my cap, gown, and hood?
A: There is no special fee for your regalia. Your tuition includes the cost of Commencement regalia.

Q. What is the significance of the academic regalia?
A. New York Law School regalia consists of a standard, black doctoral gown, a doctoral hood in the school colors, a tam, and a tassel. The velvet border of the hood is of a prescribed width, according to academic protocols, and its color--purple--indicates completion of study in the field of law. Beginning in 2010, graduating students will be able to keep all of their academic regalia after Commencement, so there is no need to return anything after the ceremony.

Q: Can I keep my cap, gown and hood after Commencement?
A: YES--your cap, gown, hood, and tassel are yours to keep.

Commencement Tickets

Q: How many tickets can I get for Commencement?
A: Four tickets are allotted for each graduate.

Q: When will I receive my tickets?
A: You will receive your tickets at cap and gown distribution, in the spring semester.

Q: Can I get more than 4 tickets?
A: It is unlikely that many extra tickets will be available this year, if any at all. However, if additional tickets are available, they will be distributed, by lottery, on or around May 1. If you have requested an additional ticket, you will be notified by email if one is available for you.

Q: What should I do if I do not need all 4 of my tickets?
A: If you realize that you will need fewer tickets at any time before Commencement, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (212) 431-2800, or via email to Commencement@nyls.edu, and we will redistribute your extra ticket(s) to other graduates.

Q: Can I sell my Commencement tickets?
A: No. Since these tickets are distributed without a fee, the practice of selling them would be unethical and unfair to your classmates. Any student who attempts to buy or sell tickets will be reported to the Academic Responsibility Committee.

Q. Why can't we just have Commencement at a larger venue?
A. Avery Fisher Hall seats roughly 2,800 people. There are three other venues in New York City which have greater seating capacity--Radio City Music Hall, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Jacob Javits Center. All of these venues have serious disadvantages, despite greater seating capacity. The Law School has hosted Commencement at other venues in past years, but students and faculty were unhappy with alternative sites for a host of reasons. We also have investigated alternative sites by consulting colleagues at other area law schools; in most cases, schools that have experimented with various locations have now established a preference for Avery Fisher Hall. While we would much prefer to have greater seating capacity--and thereby have the ability to offer more tickets to graduating students--prior graduates and faculty have determined that, among currently available venues, Avery Fisher Hall is the preferred location, despite its disadvantages.

Seating

Q: Are there assigned seats at Commencement?
A: Only graduates are assigned specific seats in the auditorium. All other tickets are for general admission.

Q: What time are family/guests allowed into the auditorium?
A: Avery Fisher Hall allows family/guests into the auditorium 30 minutes prior to the start of Commencement. Doors open at 2:30 pm.

Q: What if family/guests arrive without a ticket?
A: Avery Fisher Hall does not permit admission of anyone without a ticket into the auditorium, under any circumstances. Please remember your tickets!

Q: Is the Hall wheelchair accessible?
A: Yes; contact Jimena Buitrago at (212) 431-2189 or via email to Commencement@nyls.edu for additional information on special seating arrangements.

Q: What does “special seating” mean?
A: Special seating is ONLY for those people who require access by use of a wheelchair, crutches, or walker. Guests using a cane, including senior citizens, must follow the normal entrance procedure.

Q: Can children attend Commencement?
A: Yes; however, tickets are required for children over the age of two. Children under the age of two may sit on a lap, and are not required to have a ticket. (Children who are restless and/or noisy may be requested to leave the auditorium with a parent or guardian, to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of the ceremony by other guests.)

Parking

Q: Is there parking at Avery Fisher Hall?
A: Yes. Avery Fisher Hall has a parking lot on West 62nd Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. For additional information about parking (including cost), please contact the parking lot directly at 212.874.9021.

The Commencement Ceremony

Q: How long is the Commencement ceremony?
A: Commencement will be approximately two hours long.

Q. Why is Commencement scheduled on this particular date, at this time?
A. There are many factors that enter into the selection of date and time for the Law School's Commencement ceremony. First and foremost, we are limited to dates and times that are available at the venue where the ceremony takes place. Commencement is scheduled roughly 18 months in advance, and we must negotiate a date that does not conflict with our final exam schedule, holidays (typically, Memorial Day weekend), optimum travel and work schedules for family and friends, and the schedule of bar review courses, among other considerations. In addition, the Commencement venue typically is hosting ceremonies for several other schools around the same time, as well as arts events and commercial clients. Our aim is to select a date and time that best meets as many requirements as possible, but, regrettably, it is virtually impossible to meet every individual's preferences.

Q: Can my best friend give me my scroll during the ceremony?
A: No, only an immediate family member who is a graduate of New York Law School can present your Commencement scroll. (Information about designating a family member for your presentation is collected in the Commencement questionnaire on Portal.)

Q: Can my family videotape the ceremony?
A: Yes. However, please ask family and friends to be courteous when videotaping or taking photographs by not blocking the view of other guests. A professional videotape of the ceremony also will be made available after Commencement. Information about purchasing a DVD of the ceremony will be posted on the web site when it is available.