The Honorable Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes United States District Court, Central District of California
On May 18, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s nomination of Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes to serve as a federal district judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Judge Sykes received her Presidential Commission on June 14, 2022 and took her oath of office on June 21, 2022. Judge Sykes presides over matters in Riverside, California, in the Court’s Eastern Division. She is a member of the Navajo Nation, the first Native American Article III judge in California, the first Article III judge from the Navajo Nation, and the fifth Native American Article III judge actively serving in the U.S.
Judge Sykes served as the first Native American judge appointed to the Riverside Superior Court from 2013 to 2022. Before her appointment to the Superior Court bench, she worked in the Office of County Counsel, Riverside County, where she served as a Deputy County Counsel from 2005 to 2013. From 2003 to 2005, she was a contract attorney for the Juvenile Defense Panel in Murrieta, California. In 1998 and from 2000 to 2003, Judge Sykes served at California Indian Legal Services, first as an administrative assistant (1998), law clerk (2000), then as a staff attorney (2001-2003). Judge Sykes was a clinical program advocate for the East Palo Alto Community Law Project from 1999 to 2000. In 1999 she was law clerk for DNA Legal Services on the Navajo reservation.
Born in Tuba City, Arizona, Judge Sykes received her Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 2001 and her Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from Stanford University in 1997.
Other Speakers
Faculty Speaker:Distinguished Clinical Professor of Law Robert Solomon Global LL.M. Class of 2024 Student Speaker:Yurii Zinchenko Graduate Tax LL.M. Class of 2024 Student Speaker:Teddy Malone
Commencement Information
Entering Venue and Ceremony Information
All graduates and guests will pass through a security checkpoint.
The Bren Event Center has implemented a CLEAR BAG Policy. with a maximum size of 12″x12″x6″ — the size of a one-gallon freezer bag.
Bags, backpacks, large purses, etc., are no longer permitted with the exception of bags carried for medical reasons or manufactured diaper bags that accompany infants and young children.
For security purposes, all bags are subject to search prior to entry for any event.
Once graduates have checked in, they will not be able to leave the area to meet with guests until after the ceremony. The ceremony is expected to be about an hour and 45 minutes long.
NO GUESTS or animals with the exception of trained service animals will be allowed in the graduate-only areas.
Ceremony is expected to be approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes long.
Graduates should arrange with guests ahead of time for a meeting location after the event.
Doors open at 1 p.m.
Guests should be seated by 1:30 p.m.
Ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m.SHARP. We will not be able to wait for late arrivals.
Complimentary parking is available at the Mesa Parking Structure located next to the Bren Events Center, Lot 14A located near the Bren Center, and the Student Center Parking Structure which is a 10-min./0.5 mile-walk.
UCI requires all driving guests to use the Park-by-Plate link to register their vehicles prior to parking.
Please make sure you and your guests plan accordingly and allow time for parking, and to get from parking to the ceremony.
Please keep in mind that parking in the Mesa Parking Structure is on a first come, first-served basis on commencement day. It is recommended to arrive early as traffic is expected to be very heavy on that day. UCI Student Center Parking Structure and Lot 14A are other options.
Guests with disabilities
Your guests may let the attendant know when they arrive at the Mesa Parking Structure.
They will be directed to the second level of the structure to proceed to the East Entrance of the Bren Center. Once inside, let a Bren Center staff member know that they require ADA seating, and they will be directed as appropriate.
Note: Wheelchair seating on the arena floor may only be accompanied by one guest
Reception
Reception immediately follows the Ceremony just outside the Bren on the Ticket Terrace
UCI Law Step and Repeat and balloon frames will be available for photos.
Reception will conclude at 5:00 pm.
Light refreshments will be served.
Livestream and Digital Program
UCI Law commencement ceremony will be livestreamed for family and friends who are unable to attend in person. Watch online at: law.uci.edu/commencement-livestream
A digital program will be available on the day of the ceremony. There will be signs with a QR code posted around the arena.
Vendors On-Site
The Hill, UC Irvine’s bookstore, will be on site with an array of gifts and memorabilia available for purchase. The Hill is your one stop shop that offers diploma frames and many other accessories for grads and their families to recognize this special occasion.
Flowers and lei gifts will be available for purchase at booths outside the Bren Events Center. Flowers can be preordered and picked up at any flower booth on Commencement day. Graduates should pick up pre-ordered flowers at a flower booth before reporting to Grad Check-in.
Commencement Photos, Professional photographers from Pro Pics will be at the ceremony to take portraits of every graduate. Photos of the graduates crossing the stage, as well as individual portraits on multiple backgrounds, will be available for purchase from Pro Pics following the ceremony. You can email questions about photos to info@propicsusa.com. There is no cost to have your photo taken and no obligation to purchase. Graduates or Guests will be responsible for payment of any photos that are ordered.
Jennah Jones, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence jjones@law.uci.edu
All grads must wear regalia to participate in the Commencement ceremony (the only exception is active-duty military personnel, who may wear their dress uniforms). Grads are required to purchase the regalia and then it's yours to keep.
Here is a list of the items included in the regalia sets:
JD and Grad Tax Program Graduates regalia sets include a tam, UCI official tassel, gown, and hood
LLM Graduates regalia sets include a mortarboard cap, UCI official tassel, gown, and hood
Tams may be purchased a la carte
UCI official tassels may be purchased a la carte
For questions or support, please contact Leslie Dods, Events Manager, at 949.824.0197 orevents@law.uci.edu.
Regalia Pick-Up: Regalia will be available for pick-up in EDU 1121 during the following dates and times:
Tuesday, April 23rd between 9 am and 4 pm
Wednesday, April 24th between 8:30 am and 12 pm
Thursday, April 25th between 9 am and 4 pm
Please note, you may only pick up your own regalia.
Additionally, regalia will not be available for purchase or pick up on the day of Commencement.
Ticket requests are due no later than Friday,April 12. Graduates are the only ones able to request tickets and will have received a survey with information on how to request them.
Each graduate will receive 10 tickets. If they need more than 10 tickets, they are able to submit a special accommodations for tickets request in the graduate survey.
When indicating the number of tickets, graduates do not need to be included in the ticket count.
Children two (2) and under do NOT need a ticket as long as they sit on a person's lap.
A ticket for every guest is required to enter the venue.
Tickets will be emailed to the graduate from the Bren Events Ticketing Platform about one week before the ceremony and will need to be print-at-home.
IMPORTANT: Tickets will not be available on the day of Commencement.
All seating is first come, first served. Family and friends should be seated by 1:30 p.m. Bren Events Center staff members will be available to answer questions and direct your guests.
Seating Accommodations for Guests with Disabilities
To request reasonable accommodations for a disability, graduates need to provide information in their graduate survey when requesting their ticket allocation for the ceremony. The deadline for graduates to submit ticket requests is Friday,April 12.
You may also send a special request to Law Events at events@law.uci.edu.
During the ceremony, there will be a booth where you can purchase flowers and lei gifts for your grad. Use this link to order graduation flowers and lei gifts ahead of time to be picked up at commencement before the ceremony: Order Flowers and Leis
There will be no rehearsal prior to the ceremony.
On the day of Commencement, graduates should arrive by 12:30 p.m., in full regalia.Follow the signs to the student check-in area where you will line up for the academic procession.
The ceremony will begin promptly at 2:00 p.m. and will last 90-120 minutes.
A light reception will begin immediately after the ceremony just outside of the Bren Events Center.
There will be a reception immediately following the commencement ceremony which will take place just outside the Bren Events Center. The reception will feature light appetizers and beverages. Your friends and family are invited.
Parking will be complimentary on Friday, May 10 for those attending the Commencement Ceremonyonly in the following parking structures:
Mesa Parking Structure: This structure is closest to the Bren Events Center and will fill up quickly.
Lot 14A located near the Bren Events Center at the corner of University Drive and Mesa Road.
Student Center Parking Structure: Please note this structure is a 10-minute/0.5 mile-walk with various elevations to the Bren Events Center. You are encouraged to drop off guests that are unable to walk the distance. There will be directional signs for those who wish to walk and golf cart passenger shuttles for those needing assistance. Please plan plenty of extra time.
UCI Transportation Services has implemented Park by Plate, an online advance parking registration system for large events. We strongly encourage all attendees who need to park at the event to register before arriving on-site. Park by Plate registration >
Guests with disabilities parking needs will park in the Mesa Parking Structure. When guests arrive at the Mesa Parking Structure, they may let the attendant know they require ADA parking. They will be directed to the second level of the structure to proceed to the East Entrance of the Bren Events Center. Once inside, let a Bren Center staff member know that they require ADA seating, and they will be directed as appropriate.
Plan plenty of time to maneuver Friday afternoon campus traffic and parking.
Professional photographers from Pro Pics will be at the ceremony to take portraits of every graduate. Photos of the graduates crossing the stage, as well as individual portraits on multiple backgrounds, will be available for purchase from Pro Pics following the ceremony.
To receive your proofs, please visitwww.UCIphotos.comto fill out your contact information prior to the ceremony. You can email questions about photos to info@propicsusa.com. There is no cost to have your photo taken and no obligation to purchase. You will be responsible for payment of any photos you order.
The Honorable Judge Sunshine Suzanne Sykes
