George Mason University Law School in Arlington, Virginia just outside of Washington D.C. has a strong local reputation and is currently ranked 41 by the U.S. News and World Report, tied with BYU Law.
George Mason Law offers a great value especially for Virginia residents; it is about as competitive as other schools similarly ranked, having accepted about a quarter of the applications that came its way in 2009.
George Mason Law's three-year full-time day Juris Doctor (J.D.) program operates from mid-August to early May; there is also an evening program. For information on living accommodations, see Housing.
Contact Information
3301 Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 993-8000
Email: lawadmit@gmu.edu
Website: http://www.law.gmu.edu
Fast Facts (Class of 2012)
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Enrollment Information
Applicants: 5,273
Enrolled: 247 (190 day students)Women: 43%
Virginia residents: 43%Student to Faculty Ratio: 1: 16.7
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GPA/LSAT Scores
LSAT Median: 163
UGPA Median: 3.72 -
Costs and Fees (2009-2010)
Tuition: $20,556 (full-time, in-state); $34,220 (full-time, out of state); $16,721 (part-time, in-state); $27,945 (part-time, out of state)
Total estimated budget: $42,490 (full-time, in-state); $56,154 (full-time, out of state); $38,655 (part-time, in-state); $49,879 (part-time, out of state)
Application Procedures
Application fee: $35 (waived if applying through LSAC)
Application window: October 1 to April 1 of the year in which you're seeking admission; December 15 for Early Decision.
Applicants may submit applications online through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) or download a paper application from the school's website (PDF). In addition to the application and fee (if applicable), applicants must submit:
- Personal statement
- Resume
- LSDAS report
- Two letters of recommendation
- Application for in-state tuition (if applicable)
For complete information on admission procedures at George Mason Law, see How to Apply.
Transfer Procedures
George Mason Law accepts applications for transfer from students who have completed one year of study at an ABA-accredited law school; the best chance for admission is for those ranked in the top 20% of their law school class. Transfer applications will be accepted until July 1; interested students should submit the application and fee as well as the following:
- Personal statement discussing reasons for transfer request
- Official law school transcript
- Letter of good standing from current dean, including class rank
- Two letters of recommendation, at least one from a law school professor
- Copy of LSAC report
- Resume
- Application for in-state tuition (if applicable)
For more information on transferring to George Mason Law, see FAQ for Transfer Students.
Degrees and Curriculum
In order to earn a Juris Doctor degree, a George Mason Law student must earn 89 credit hours, and in addition to the first-year curriculum below, must also complete Constitutional Law, Appellate Writing, Legal Drafting, and Professional Responsibility. For more detailed information, see JD Curriculum.
The required first-year curriculum includes Contracts I and II, Criminal Law, Property, Torts, Civil Procedure, The Founders' Constitution, Economic Foundations, Trial Level Writing, and Introduction to Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis.
George Mason Law offers several joint degree and LL.M. programs.
Study Abroad
George Mason Law offers an exchange program, Studying Law and Economics in Hamburg, Germany.
Law Journals and Other Activities
George Mason Law has several student-run journals including the George Mason Law Review, Civil Rights Law Journal, and the Journal of Law, Economics & Policy.
Along with many student organizations, the law school also operates the centers and initiatives such as the Center for Infrastructure Protection, the Law & Economics Center, and the Founders' Constitution.
Bar Exam Passage Rate
A majority of George Mason Law students take the Virginia Bar Exam and, in 2007, achieved an 83.8% pass rate. The overall pass rate for the Virginia Bar Exam was 74%.
Post-Graduation Employment
From the 2007 graduating class, 93.2% were employed at graduation and 98% were employed nine months after graduation; the median starting salary in the private sector was $128,750 and $53,000 in the public sector.