George Mason University School of Law

Introduction

George Mason University School of Law 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, George Mason is able to offer its students numerous opportunities for practical experiences during their law school career.

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 School of Law 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.

George Mason 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 George Mason graduates have this grounding, all students take a first-year course in Economic Foundations.

George Mason law students complete a three-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 George Mason 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.

George Mason has a number of programs offering students practical experience: Immigration Law, Domestic Relations, Law and Mental Illness, Regulatory Law, Patent Law, Virginia Practice, the Clinic for Legal Assistance to Service Members and Veterans, and a Supreme Court Clinic. As a leader in technology and law, George Mason is the headquarters for the Information Economy Project. George Mason is also home to the Center for Infrastructure Protection (CIP), a program that fully integrates the disciplines of law, policy, and technology for enhancing the security of cyber networks and economic processes supporting the nation's critical infrastructure.

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 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—is designed for students having 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.
• LLM Programs—for students wishing to pursue specialized study beyond the JD, George Mason offers two LLM programs: (1) the LLM in Law and Economics, and (2) the LLM in Intellectual Property Law. Detailed information about these programs is available at www.law.gmu.edu/academics/llm.html.
• Additionally, George Mason offers programs in Criminal 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

George Mason University 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; 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 Office of the US Attorney for both the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as federal courts and agencies, local governments, and private firms. Information about George Mason's various student organizations and externship opportunities can be found at www.law.gmu.edu/students/orgs and www.law.gmu.edu/academics/clinics.

Diversity Student Services, Academic Support Services, Disability Support Services, and the Office of 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, Academic, and Alumni Services aids students and alumni in finding permanent, part-time, and summer jobs, as well as 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 on-campus interviews. More than 150 firms, businesses, and government agencies come to campus each year. Graduates find employment in the legal profession throughout the country.

Applicant Profile

George Mason University School of Law

This grid includes only applicants who earned 120–180 LSAT scores under standard administrations.

	GPA
LSAT Score	3.75+ Apps	3.75+ Adm	3.50– 3.74 Apps	3.50– 3.74 Adm	3.25– 3.49 Apps	3.25– 3.49 Adm	3.00– 3.24 Apps	3.00– 3.24 Adm	2.75– 2.99 Apps	2.75– 2.99 Adm	2.50– 2.74 Apps	2.50– 2.74 Adm	2.25– 2.49 Apps	2.25– 2.49 Adm	2.00– 2.24 Apps	2.00– 2.24 Adm	Below 2.00 Apps	Below 2.00 Adm	No GPA Apps	No GPA Adm	Total Apps	Total Adm
LSAT score 175–180	2	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	2	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	4
LSAT score 170–174	20	15	18	13	19	13	13	9	8	1	6	5	3	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	89	59
LSAT score 165–169	92	74	163	138	117	98	86	71	47	29	29	13	11	4	1	0	3	2	12	11	561	440
LSAT score 160–164	209	197	325	78	287	37	207	28	82	13	29	3	23	3	6	0	0	0	39	1	1207	360
LSAT score 155–159	188	139	326	22	299	6	196	2	88	1	47	0	14	0	12	1	2	0	32	0	1204	171
LSAT score 150–154	95	24	148	4	169	0	158	0	84	0	46	0	19	0	12	0	1	0	20	0	752	28
LSAT score 145–149	25	2	65	0	71	0	97	0	64	0	40	0	18	0	9	0	3	0	10	0	402	2
LSAT score 140–144	12	0	23	0	36	0	42	0	40	0	23	0	13	0	14	0	7	0	4	0	214	0
LSAT score 135–139	7	0	8	0	12	0	17	0	14	0	9	0	14	0	4	0	1	0	6	0	92	0
LSAT score 130–134	2	0	0	0	3	0	8	0	4	0	3	0	3	0	4	0	3	0	1	0	31	0
LSAT score 125–129	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	5	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	10	0
LSAT score 120–124	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	652	452	1077	255	1015	155	825	110	433	45	238	22	119	9	64	1	20	2	126	13	4569	1064

Apps = Number of Applicants
Adm = Number Admitted
Reflects 100% of the total applicant pool; highest LSAT data reported.