WVU has, sadly, cancelled the live 2020 Commencement in May because of COVID-19. There will be a virtual ceremony on May 16, and an in-person ceremony on December 19. Details are forthcoming.
You may wish to keep your regalia if you plan to participate in the virtual celebration in May and/or the live ceremony in December. We are planning several ways for you to interact via social media during the virtual ceremony and you may want to wear your regalia to post photos, videos, etc. We also hope that you are able to participate in the December ceremony at the Coliseum.
Order of the Coif and Order of Barristers recognition will continue.
Honors and Awards Info: Barristers and Coif
WVU Law Honors and Awards
History of the Hooding Ceremony
The Hooding Ceremony has its origins deep in the history of educational institutions. In Medieval times, universities were truly a collection of separate colleges, each of which was devoted to particular disciplines and professional training. At commencement time every year, the faculties of the colleges met, examined their students, and upon finding them to have satisfied all of the requirements established for the curriculum of the college, by vote of the faculty, a hood was provided to be invested upon those persons who were recommended to the university as being qualified for the degree. Over the years, the hoods became colored according to college and discipline. We follow that tradition in investing the members of the graduating class of the College of Law with the purple hood of the law, so that all present will know that these men and women have been found qualified and worthy to receive the degree of Doctor of Jurisprudence.
