Student Traditions
Pub Night
Pub Night, sponsored by Women in Law, originated in the 1980s. Proceeds go to scholarships and other worthy causes. The highlight of the evening for many years has been the Moody Bluebooks, a rock band made up of law school faculty, staff and students. They are dynamite!
Watch YouTube video from a recent performance.
Commencement
Law school commencement is a day filled with tradition, a joyous occasion for grads, faculty, families and friends. Activities begin with the hooding ceremony at the Lied Center, the university's center for the performing arts. Each graduate is individually recognized at the ceremony. The hooding ceremony is followed by an open house at Green Hall. The last event of the day is the time-honored walk down the Hill for the all-university commencement ceremony at Memorial Stadium.
Photos of 2011 commencement festivities
Diversity in Law Banquet
The Diversity in Law Banquet began in 1996 as one of the most important fundraising events for the Minority Scholarship Fund. It has become a meaningful way for faculty, students, alumni and friends to celebrate the many contributions made to the law profession by persons of color. Organized by the Asian Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, Hispanic American Law Students Association and Native American Law Students Association, the banquets has featured keynote speakers — usually from the ranks of KU Law's diverse alumni — who represent many different practice areas and share a commitment to mentoring students and contributing to their communities.
Watch a YouTube video of this year's banquet.
Walk to Old Green Hall
The "Walk to Old Green Hall" began at the last class ended in spring 1978. Law students who had spent their first two-plus years in Old Green Hall and moved to a new building in the fall of 1977 were nostalgic. They persuaded Professor Paul Wilson to lead them back to their original home for reminiscing and reflecting on law school history. The tradition has continued, unabated though with new leaders, ever since. These days, distinguished professor and former dean Martin Dickinson leads the walk.
Photos of the 2011 Walk to Old Green Hall
Thanksgiving Food Drive
The entire law school participates in the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive coordinated by the Black Law Students Association. BLSA members solicit contributions (financial and edible) from law school faculty, students and staff to provide turkeys and all the trimmings for Lawrence residents in need. Food contributions are gathered in shopping carts near classrooms. Faculty allow a "pass" to any student who brings a can of food for the drive during the collection period, and the small sections of the first-year students compete for the "most food donated" award.
Bluebook Relays
Each fall, first-year law students participate in the Barber Emerson Bluebook Relays. The competition, sponsored by a Lawrence law firm, tests legal research skills learned in the Lawyering program. Working in teams, students locate references in the library and write the citation in correct Bluebook format. The point system rewards speed, accuracy and citation skills. There is a cash prize for the winning team, but the big reward is the fun that comes from putting competition in perspective.
