George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School

Introduction

George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School, sits on the doorstep of the nation’s capital. One of Virginia’s public law schools, it was established by authority of the Virginia General Assembly in 1979. By virtue of its unparalleled location, Scalia Law School is able to offer its students numerous opportunities for practical experiences during their law school careers.

Library and Physical Facilities

In 1999, the law school relocated to a state-of-the-art facility, Hazel Hall, equipped with electrical and data connections at every classroom and library seat, and two ultramodern moot courtrooms. The opening of a large plaza and new building in January 2011 expanded the facilities available to law students.

The school is a member of the library network of the Consortium for Continuing Higher Education in Northern Virginia, affording access to general university and public library collections.

Enrollment/Student Body

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

Curriculum

George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School offers both full- and part-time divisions. The full-time division operates during the day and takes three years to complete. Students who elect the part-time division study at night during the first year and generally take four years to complete the requirements for the Juris Doctor degree. Students may switch between the programs to accommodate employment opportunities.

Scalia Law School offers an interdisciplinary approach to legal study. A grounding in economics and basic mathematical and financial skills is important to a sophisticated legal education and to the development of a competent attorney. To ensure that Scalia Law School graduates have this grounding, all students take the first-year course Economic Foundations of Legal Studies.

Scalia Law School students complete a two-year legal writing program, which emphasizes the use of technology and continual practice of skills in the development of actual transactions and cases.

The curriculum begins with exposure to the courses fundamental to a well-rounded legal education. Students at Scalia Law School may also elect to enroll in one of our specialty programs, thus demonstrating depth as well as breadth in their training. All specialties are offered in both the full-time and part-time divisions.

Scalia Law School has a number of programs offering students practical experience:

• Administrative Law Clinic
• Arts and Entertainment Advocacy Clinic
• Bankruptcy Externship
• Capitol Hill Externship
• Law and Mental Illness Clinic
• Patent Law Clinic
• Regulatory Comments Legal Practicum
• Supreme Court Clinic
• Veterans and Service Members Legal Clinic
• Virginia Practice Externship

Scalia Law School is home to the following centers and institutes:

• Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property
• Center for the Study of the Administrative State
• Global Antitrust Institute
• Law and Economics Center
• Liberty and Law Center
• National Security Institute
• Program on Economics and Policy

Special Programs

• Homeland and National Security Law: Enables students interested in specializing in this field to present potential employers (both in government and in the private sector) with a credential that reflects a solid foundation in homeland and national security law.
• Corporate and Securities Law: Prepares students to work in a variety of fields related to corporate law and financial markets. By developing a thorough understanding of both law and underlying theory, students are prepared to deal with rapidly changing business and legal environments.
• Regulatory Law: Prepares students for practice in, and before, the numerous agencies that regulate business and other activities. Students are taught economics, the economic analysis of law, administrative law, legislation, lobbying, and negotiation, as well as several substantive areas of regulatory law.
• International Business Law: Prepares students for practice in the rapidly changing global business community and provides them with a well-rounded legal education by emphasizing analytical and writing skills.
• Litigation Law: Provides an academic program for students interested in litigation and other dispute resolution processes. This is not a clinical training program. The track courses focus on the processes of dispute resolution and lawyers’ roles from an analytical perspective.
• Intellectual Property Law: Designed for students with a degree in engineering, or one of the physical or biological sciences, who intend to practice within the field of intellectual property.
• Technology Law Program: Combines coursework in the fields of technology law, intellectual property law, and business law. The program prepares students for work in law firms that serve high-technology clients, as in-house counsel for Internet start-up companies, and as attorneys for state and federal regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over technology industries.
• Antitrust Law: Provides students with an in-depth understanding of the laws that promote competition and protect consumers.
• LLM Programs: For students wishing to pursue specialized study beyond the JD, Scalia Law School offers LLM programs in the following: US Law, Global Antitrust and Economics, Law and Economics, and Intellectual Property.

Additionally, Scalia Law School offers programs in Communications Law, Criminal Law, Immigration Law, Legal and Economic Theory, Personal Law, and Tax Law.

Admission

Two of the primary factors considered in the admission process are performance on the LSAT and undergraduate grade-point average. Other factors that are considered include difficulty of undergraduate major, undergraduate institution attended, possession of advanced degrees, writing ability, recommendations, extracurricular activities, employment experience, demonstrated commitment to public and community service, leadership skills and experience, history of overcoming personal or professional challenges, and other academic, personal, and professional achievements.

Student Activities

Scalia Law School provides many services to enhance the law school experience and enable students to take full advantage of the university’s educational and personal enrichment opportunities.

Student activities include the George Mason Law Review; Civil Rights Law Journal; the Journal of Law, Economics, and Policy; the Journal of International Commercial Law; the National Security Law Journal; a prestigious moot court program; an active trial advocacy program; a newspaper; and numerous law-related organizations. Students have an unparalleled opportunity to gain experience in such varied settings as the United States Attorney’s Office for both the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as federal courts and agencies, local governments, and private firms. Learn more about Scalia Law School’s various student organizations and externship opportunities.

Offices of diversity student services, academic support services, disability support services, and veterans services provide specialized assistance, as does the counseling center, where a staff of professionals help students to reach personal, social, and academic goals.

Expenses and Financial Aid

George Mason University participates in the Direct Lending Program. There is no deadline for applying for financial aid, but applicants should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible in order to assure the timely award of aid.

In addition to loans available through the Direct Lending Program, George Mason students are eligible for a number of merit-based fellowships.

Career Services

The Office of Career and Academic Services aids students and alumni in finding permanent, part-time, and summer jobs; judicial clerkships; and school-year externships and internships by serving as a clearinghouse for information on available positions. It also advises on résumé and interview preparation and coordinates interviews both on and off campus. Graduates find employment in the legal profession throughout the country.