George Mason University School of Law

George Mason University School of Law (Mason Law or GMUSL) is the law school of George Mason University, a state university in Virginia, United States. The law school is located in Arlington, further east of the university's main campus in Fairfax.

George Mason University School of Law was authorized by the Virginia General Assembly in March 1979 and was founded on July 1, 1979. The American Bar Association provisionally approved the school in the fall of 1980 and granted full approval in 1986.

Because of its advantageous location and growing reputation, George Mason University School of Law is a selective institution. The law school received 5,092 applications for fall 2008 JD admission and made offers of admission to twenty percent of those applicants. George Mason has 717 students in its J.D., LL.M., and J.M. programs. The median LSAT score among those offered admission to the full-time program for the fall 2011 entering J.D. class was 164 and the median GPA was 3.72. Over 15% of the students in the first year class hold graduate degrees including Ph.D.s. Merit-based scholarships are offered to the most qualified applicants and average $12,000 per year, which is sufficient to cover the majority of the tuition for in-state students.

Tuition costs $20,556 for in-state students and $39,220 for non-residents, exclusive of books, and other costs. The first-time bar passage rate for all graduates is 93.2%, one of the highest of any Virginia law school.