Antonin Scalia Law School: A Comprehensive Overview of Courses and Programs

The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, situated in Arlington, Virginia, approximately 4 miles west of Washington, D.C., offers a comprehensive legal education. Named in honor of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, the law school maintains a rigorous program consistent with ABA Standards, preparing students for bar admission and ethical participation in the legal profession.

General Academic Structure

Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University offers both full-time day and part-time evening study options. Irrespective of whether students pursue a JD Concentration or the General Law Program, all are required to complete 89 credit hours to graduate satisfactorily. While the law school offers structured specialization options, students are not mandated to specialize in their legal studies. Many students begin law school without a specific area of interest.

Focus Areas and Concentrations

Students may elect to complete significant coursework in one of 18 Focus Areas of the law. A formal Concentration can be achieved in the Focus Areas of Antitrust Law, National Security Law, Cyber Law, Tax Law, Patent Law, and Public Interest Litigation.

Legal Writing Program

The Antonin Scalia Law School offers an intensive three-year legal writing program designed to equip students with the practical skills demanded in legal practice.

First Year

In the first year, students are introduced to both enacted law and common law. They learn a variety of research methodologies using both print and electronic database resources. Students also learn the art of analyzing legal concepts. They also learn the practical skills of presenting this research and analysis in a coherent, organized, and logical written product. Students begin writing objective legal memoranda in the first semester. Then, they progress to the art of persuasive writing through a trial level problem. Here, students are required to write both pre-trial pleadings and trial memoranda.

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Third Semester

In the third semester, students continue developing and refining their research, analytical, and persuasive writing skills by working through an appellate problem. Students research, draft, and complete both an appellant’s brief and an appellee’s brief in compliance with the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Students also engage in oral argument before legal practitioners.

Fourth Semester

In the fourth semester, students are introduced to technical drafting work. The LRWA Program at Scalia Law also requires at least two additional writing courses beyond the first two years. For those students in the general law track, the additional writing requirement can be satisfied by taking either two 400- or 600-level seminar courses or one 400-/600-level seminar and one “Writing” course (designated by a (W) following the title of the course).

Curriculum and Specializations

The Antonin Scalia Law School curriculum introduces students to legal methods along with economic and quantitative tools, stressing the application of the nonlegal methods in legal contexts.

ABA Integration

In 1996, the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar drafted a proposal identifying the basic areas of knowledge that are important to a sophisticated legal education and to the development of a competent attorney. George Mason has integrated these disciplines into our law and economics-oriented curriculum.

Academic Centers

George Mason is proud of the academic centers located at the Antonin Scalia Law School. Through these centers, we bring extraordinary talent into our law school and enhance our existing programs. Founded in 1974, the Law & Economics Center is a vital component of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. The C. The first of its kind, The C.

Law & Economics Center’s (LEC) Judicial Education Program (JEP)

For almost 50 years, the Law & Economics Center’s (LEC) Judicial Education Program (JEP) has helped train the nation’s judges and justices in economics, finance, accounting, statistics, and scientific methodology. The Program offers intellectually rigorous, balanced, and timely education programs in the belief that the fundamental principles of a free and just society depend on a knowledgeable and well educated judiciary. Supreme Court Justices, have participated in at least one of the LEC’s judicial education programs.

Economics Institute for Judges

Through intensive classroom lectures and discussions, judges are given a grounding in economics, finance, statistics, and the scientific method. The practical relevance of these disciplines is emphasized through the analysis of legal cases.

Public Law: Economic Concepts and Cases

Public Law: Economic Concepts and Cases focuses on the application of economic concepts to numerous areas of public law. Topics for discussion include market imperfections; taxation; risk and cost-benefit analysis; employment and labor law; crime and punishment; environmental policy; economic liberties; climate change and public nuisance; and political speech.

Judicial Symposia

The symposia provide a focused analysis of current legal and public policy issues in a dynamic format that combines lectures and debates over periods as short as two days to as long as a week.

Specific Course Offerings

The Antonin Scalia Law School offers a diverse range of courses catering to various legal interests and career paths.

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LAW 010: Professional Responsibility-CA

This course examines the rules regulating the legal profession, including the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, the ABA Model Code of Judicial Conduct, the California Rules of Professional Conduct, relevant sections of the California Business and Professions Code, and leading caselaw. Students will apply applicable ethics rules to identify and resolve ethical problems within the practice of law.

LAW 011: Const Originalism

The course explores the principles of originalism as a method of constitutional interpretation from the American Founders to the present day. Students will be exposed to the history, origins, and competing theories of originalism and its practical application in landmark cases before the Supreme Court.

LAW 012: Law and Economics

The course provides a survey of foundational economic principles and the economic way of thinking from which to examine the economic concepts that underpin key areas of property law, anti-trust law, constitutional law, and administrative law. Students will receive a basic grounding in fundamental economic principles and their relationship to core practices of law.

LAW 021: WIPO-C-IP2 Summer School on Intellectual Property

This course aims to raise awareness of the principal concepts of intellectual property and its importance as a spur to human creativity in the advancement of economic and social development, and in the facilitation of international trade through the treaties offering multi-lateral protection. The course provides a unique opportunity for students to work with leading experts to gain a deeper knowledge of intellectual property to advance their careers. This course is offered on a CR/NC basis.

LAW 022: Interbranch Conflicts in National Security: War, Intelligence, and Negotiations

This course covers various actual and potential disputes between the three coordinate branches over the conduct of foreign relations and the carrying out of national security policy.

LAW 025: Field Study for Int'l Students

Field study for international students is open only to JD students participating in a field study following their first year of law school in a country other than their home country. The field study may be paid or unpaid. This course shall be graded CR/NC and is for one, two or three out-of-class credits.

LAW 070: Intro to US Law (JMs Only)

This course is designed to provide JM students with an overview of United States law.

LAW 071: Lgl Resch & Writing (JMs Only)

This course is designed to introduce JM students to legal research methods, knowledge of general legal concepts, and the art of reading and interpreting legal writing.

LAW 072: Prelaw Int'l Academic Prep

This course provides an introduction and overview of the United States legal system including court structure, the federal and state legal systems, and the basics of constitutional law as well as an introduction to Professional Responsibility.

LAW 075: Contracts (JMs Only)

This course will provide JM students with an introduction to the principles of contract law, including the consideration doctrine, offer and acceptance, promissory estoppel, and the regulation of the bargaining process; as well as the relationship of contract law in government and business organizations.

LAW 076: JM Capstone I (JMs Only)

This course is designed to provide JM students with an avenue to draw upon the legal knowledge they have received, and to further develop the problem solving orientation and skills to interact with attorneys, recognize legal issues and flag applicable law. As a “capstone,” students will select their own topic within their field of employment and directly related to their profession on which they will write a thesis under faculty supervision.

LAW 077: JM Capstone II (JMs Only)

This course is an extension of Capstone I. Students will research and draft their theses under the guidance of a faculty member.

LAW 078: Contracts (LLM Only)

This course introduces the principles of contract law, including contract formation, consideration and other bases for enforcing promises, invalidating causes, contract terms, conditions, anticipatory breach, and remedies.

LAW 081: Legal Writing Under Pressure

The purpose of this course is to help you strengthen four listening and writing skills that will come in handy no matter what kind of lawyering you do. This course will be graded CR/NC.

LAW 082: Leadership & Mgmt. for Lawyers

This is a 1 or 2 credit course that helps to prepare law graduates for leadership positions in multiple contexts. Lawyers lead law firms, legislatures, non-profit organizations, businesses, government agencies, and a wide variety of other organizations and causes. The course will address key issues in leadership to build awareness and habits that will prepare students for leadership and management roles and for success in the organizations and for the causes they may serve.

LAW 083: Business Bootcamp

This class is designed to teach law students the basics of finance, accounting, and business in an abbreviated format. In addition to gaining some institutional knowledge, students will hear from industry experts, both lawyers and business professionals. This course is graded “CR/NC.”

LAW 084: DE&I: Law and Strategies

This course is designed to educate students about the social and economic benefits derived from diversity and inclusion.

LAW 085: Diversity & Inclusion

The Diversity & Inclusion Predictive Analytics course educates students on varying methods of examining employee data to answer a range of questions about an organization’s relative level of equity, diversity, integration, and inclusion.

LAW 087: State Constitutional Law

This survey course explores the nature and significance of state constitutional law, specifically including examination of recent cases and hot topics in the field.

LAW 089: Introduction to United States Law & Professional Responsibility

This course teaches argumentation in writing from an intercultural perspective, practices drafting arguments using American style persuasive writing techniques, and prepares students for how these skills will be used in future legal education classes.

LAW 093: Intro to US Law

This course is designed to provide LL.M. law. This course will not provide an exhaustive survey of each topic, but rather exposure to a large amount of foundational information in a short period of time.

LAW 096: Intro to Lgl Res Writ &

Introduces the student to research methods, analysis of legal concepts, and the art of legal writing. Students begin to learn the research, analysis and writing process through an assigned series of open and closed memoranda.

LAW 097: Trial-Level Writing

Students continue developing their research, analytical and writing skills by working through a trial-level problem. Students will also participate in an oral argument.

LAW 098: Appellate Writing

Appellate Writing builds on the practical legal writing skills students mastered during their first year. This course provides an opportunity to perform in-depth legal research and a high level of legal analysis as students brief both sides of an appellate case and participate in oral arguments.

LAW 099: Legal Drafting

Legal Drafting introduces students to research, analytical, and writing skills related to drafting legal documents that govern future behavior. In the transactional drafting class, students practice drafting skills used in private transactions by drafting and revising private party contracts. In the legislative and regulatory drafting class, students practice drafting skills related to public laws by drafting and revising statutes and regulations.

LAW 102: Contracts I

Introduction to the principles of contract law, including the consideration doctrine, offer and acceptance, promissory estoppel, and the regulation of the bargaining process.

LAW 103: Contracts II

Continuation of Contracts I, with emphasis on interpret…

Admissions and Costs

The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University has an application deadline of April 30. The full-time program application fee at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is $0. The part-time program application fee at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University is $0. Its tuition is full-time: $27,762 (in-state); full-time: $43,876 (out-of-state); part-time: $20,822 (in-state); and part-time: $32,918 (out-of-state). The student-faculty ratio is 4.2:1.

Library Resources

The George Mason Law Library has a collection of electronic and print materials providing access to legal treatises, journals, and databases. Non-legal materials are available through the GMU University Libraries. The library occupies four levels of the law school building. It has 14 study rooms, 70 carrel seats, and 196 table seats.

Historical Context

George Mason University School of Law was authorized by the Virginia General Assembly in March 1979 and was founded on July 1, 1979. The school started as the International School of Law (ISL), which opened in 1972 in a classroom at the Federal Bar Building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. In 1973, it moved into the home of former United States Chief Justice Edward Douglass White on Rhode Island Avenue, and in 1975 purchased the old Kann's Department Store in Arlington. In 2016, the school received $30 million to rename itself for Antonin Scalia, the late United States Supreme Court justice. The Charles Koch Foundation provided $10 million of the donation, with the remaining $20 million coming from an anonymous donor. On March 31, 2016, Mason's Board of Visitors approved the renaming.

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