George Mason University - Antonin Scalia Law School

New students meet during orientation before classes begin

You will find our school has four fundamental pillars that will benefit you:

• Mason's Scalia Law School is in an exceptional location for student opportunities;
• Mason's Scalia Law School is an exceptional community for students, alumni, faculty, and staff;
• Mason's Scalia Law School provides exceptional career support services; and
• Mason's Scalia Law School is home to an exceptional market-oriented faculty, placing us at the center of foundational debates on liberty, private property rights, constitutionally limited government, and the economic analysis of law.

George Mason University Fairfax Campus

George Mason, for whom our university is named, was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a model for the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.

Today, the university has more than 34,000 students (largest institution in Virginia) from over 130 different countries, devoting their study across 10 unique schools and colleges, including the Antonin Scalia Law School.

George Mason University Arlington Campus

George Mason University absorbed the International School of Law in 1979, which was housed in an old department store building in Arlington, Virginia. In 1999 the law school relocated to a new facility, Hazel Hall. In 2016, the school was renamed after the passing of the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, whose reputation for rigorous, intellectually honest, and consistent legal debate accurately reflects the school's historic brand. 

Our goal at Scalia Law is to have students who will receive an outstanding legal education (Learn), be taught to critically evaluate prevailing orthodoxy and pursue new ideas (Challenge), and, ultimately, be well prepared to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields (Lead).

Scalia Law faculty embrace the Learn.Challenge.Lead. philosophy.

Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University employs 120 full-time and adjunct faculty members drawn from some of the top law firms and legal institutions in the nation. Our professors have worked in the White House, argued before the Supreme Court, and served as ambassadors to our most important allies and trading partners. Ranked 21st in the nation for scholarly impact, the Scalia Law faculty’s output is also among the most downloaded on the Social Science Research Network, ranking 15th overall (July 2015 SSRN Top U.S. Law Schools).

Admission to the LLM program is highly competitive. To be admitted to the program, applicants must possess:

• A Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an ABA-accredited law school or an equivalent degree (a Bachelor of Laws, or LL.B.) from a law school outside the United States.
• For non-lawyers interested in the LLM in Intellectual Property (IP) Law: a Bachelor and a Masters degree in another field, accompanied by a minimum of four years work experience in IP may be accepted in lieu of a law degree. IP trainees, Patent Examiners (including Bengoshi) with four or more years of experience in IP are welcome to apply.
• All applicants for admission must have demonstrated high academic standing, and professional achievements or positions indicating the applicant's capacity for performing master's-level work.

English Proficiency scores required:
TOEFL: Minimum of 90 in the iBT test (100 or above highly preferred)
OR IELTS: Minimum of 6.5 (7.5 or above highly preferred);

LLM APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

1. Application and Application Fee
2. Official Undergraduate Transcript
3. Official Law School or Equivalent Transcripts
4. 500-Word Statement of education and professional goals
5. Résumé
6. Letters of Recommendation (2)
7. Interview
8. Virginia In-State Tuition Rates (if applicable)
9. For US-trained lawyers only

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS WITH FOREIGN CREDENTIALS:

1. Register with LSAC's LLM Credential Assembly Service 
2. English Proficiency
   For applicants whose native language are not English, and do not posses a degree from a college or university whose primary language of instruction is English, current TOEFL or IELTS scores showing sufficient proficiency in the English language are required.
   TOEFL: Minimum of 90 in the iBT test (100 or above highly preferred)
   OR IELTS: Minimum of 6.5 (7.5 or above highly preferred); 
3. International Student Certificate of Financial Responsibility Form

*Based on 23 credit hours in the first year. Please note that Financial Aid calculates Cost of Attendance (COA) based on 22 credits per year; thus, first-year part-time students must contact their financial aid counselor regarding aid for the additional credit.

**Includes room and board, transportation, personal expenses, loan fees, and books.

***In-state residents attending part-time pay $898.25 per credit hour, and out-of-state residents attending part-time pay $1,447.75 per credit hour. All students are charged an Educational Resource Fee each semester based on registered credits as follows: 7 or more credit hours - $100; fewer than 7 credits - $60.

Located just steps away from the nation’s capital, Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University offers students unmatched professional, educational, and cultural opportunities in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia.

Proximity to the White House, Capitol Hill, and the U.S. Supreme Court—as well as countless government agencies, think-tanks, non-profits, and law firms—gives students unparalleled access to the top legal minds, organizations, and job opportunities that the nation has to offer. Our faculty is culled from these very institutions, and many of our graduates go on to work at the highest level in those organizations.

Just across the Potomac lies Arlington, a short metro ride (and even shorter drive) from D.C. Our campus is located in the Clarendon neighborhood, a lively urban hub for young professionals. Our Virginia location not only allows for more affordable living, but also distinguishes us from other area schools in our ability to access the many legal opportunities that the Commonwealth has to offer. Numerous Fortune 500 companies are located in Arlington County, and nearby is the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia—known as the “rocket docket” for having the fastest trial docket in the country.

Students enjoying a presentation during new student orientation

Antonin Scalia Law School is a close-knit community, offering hands-on instruction from a world-class faculty that ranks 21st in the nation for scholarly impact. With a faculty/student ratio of 1:11.8, small class sizes allow for direct interaction with professors – an invaluable advantage when learning complex legal doctrines.