Diplomas and Honors

Diplomas

Diplomas are mailed by the University Degrees and Diplomas Office, not Texas Law. Changes of address or name should be reported to the Degrees and Diplomas Office. Diplomas will not be released to students with bars on their records at the time of graduation. Note that the diploma will state the official graduation date of the semester in which all requirements for the degree are completed, and the student is certified by the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs as being eligible for graduation. Diplomas cannot be backdated to the last semester of actual attendance in law school.

Graduation with Honors

Effective Spring 2011, graduates of the School of Law who are judged by the faculty to have completed the Doctor of Jurisprudence with scholarly distinction are awarded degrees with honors. In general, honors are awarded solely on the basis of work done at the University’s School of Law. No more than 35 percent of the graduating class may receive honors, high honors, and highest honors. No more than 5 percent may receive high honors and highest honors. No more than 1 percent may receive highest honors. Consistent with the School of Law’s no-ranking policy, we do not publish the GPA cut-offs that correlate with the graduation honors designations.

Order of the Coif

Order of the Coif is computed once each year and includes the graduates from the August, December, and May graduating classes, e.g., Aug. 2022, Dec. 2023, and May 2024. The three classes are combined and the top 10% are eligible to be invited to join Coif. Computations are done after all grades for the three classes are received, typically in September. The list of names is submitted to the faculty sponsor who will then notify the students. No more than 25 percent (21 credit hours) of the total hours being applied to the degree may be graded on the P/F basis. Transfer students are ineligible for Order of the Coif distinction.

Chancellors

Since 1912, Chancellors has been the Law School’s most prestigious honor society, recognizing the sixteen law students who have achieved the highest grade point averages in their class through their second year. The society exists only at the University of Texas Law School and is more selective than national programs such as the Order of the Coif. Chancellors are recognized at an annual installation ceremony. View the full listing of Chancellors.