At 10 a.m. on commencement day, all 8,000 Class of 2013 graduates were honored at the university’s traditional full convocation held at the Patriot Center on the Fairfax Campus. At 12:30 p.m., members of the law school's Class of 2013 assembled for a panoramic class photo, afterward filing into the university's Concert Hall for the start of the School of Law's convocation at 2 p.m.

The law school convocation featured a guest address by The Honorable William T. Newman, Jr., Presiding Judge and Chief Judge for the Arlington Circuit Court, 17^th Judicial Circuit of Virginia. Eric Claeys, Professor of Law, was selected as faculty speaker, while graduating students Abby Vexler Uzupis and Lora Barnhart Driscoll were day and evening class speakers, respectively. Dean Polsby awarded Cory Maggio the Law School Service Award during the ceremony for his contributions to the law school. Graduating students Muhammad Elsayed, Tyson Alynn Johnson, and Wesley E. Weeks had the distinction of graduating summa cum laude.

Music for the law school convocation was provided by the George Mason University Jazz Ensemble, and presentation of colors was by members of the George Mason University United States Army ROTC.

2013 commencement activities were ushered in on Friday evening, May 17, with the traditional graduation reception held in the Levy Atrium, Hazel Hall, for graduates, their families, faculty, and staff. The reception is sponsored each year by the Student Bar Association and provides a festive atmosphere for a final class get-together prior to graduation day.

The 2013 graduation program is available online.

The Court had granted certiorari in Boyer to decide “[w]hether a state’s failure to fund counsel for an indigent defendant for five years, particularly where failure was the direct result of the prosecution’s choice to seek the death penalty, should be weighed against the state for speedy trial purposes.” After reviewing the parties’ merits briefs and holding oral argument, however, the Court decided that it had mistakenly granted review and dismissed the petition. Justice Alito, in a concurrence joined by Justices Scalia and Thomas, explained that although the “premise” of the question presented was “that a breakdown in Louisiana’s system for paying the attorneys representing petitioner, an indigent defendant who was charged with a capital offense, caused most of the lengthy delay between his arrest and trial,” that premise was incorrect. Because the record instead showed “that the single largest share of the delay in this case was the direct result of defense requests for continuances, that other defense motions caused substantial additional delay, and that much of the rest of the delay was caused by events beyond anyone’s control,” the Court had “taken up this case on the basis of a mistaken factual premise.” Four Justices, in an opinion authored by Justice Sotomayor, dissented from the Court’s decision to dismiss the case and would have resolved the matter in Boyer’s favor. The dissent faulted Justice Alito for “largely adopt[ing] Louisiana’s arguments.” 

Calcasieu Parish Assistant District Attorney Carla S. Sigler, who argued the case on behalf of the State, praised the work of the Clinic in helping to convince the Court that it had mistakenly taken this case, explaining that the “George Mason University School of Law Supreme Court Clinic … thoroughly researched the issues involved, prepared and filed a comprehensive and exemplary brief, and helped prepare the State’s prosecutor for the daunting challenge of oral argument.” Ms. Sigler added that, “without [the Clinic’s] assistance, the State would not have been able to prevail in this difficult case.” 

The Court’s per curiam order dismissing the case, along with the concurring and dissenting opinions, can be found here (http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/11-9953_4h25.pdf).  A copy of Louisiana’s merits brief can be found here (http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publications/supreme_court_preview/briefs-v2/11-9953_resp.authcheckdam.pdf).

For more information about the case or Mason Law's Supreme Court Clinic, please contact Thomas R. McCarthy at 202.719.7476 or tmccarthy@wileyrein.com and William S. Consovoy at 202.719.7434 or wconsovoy@wileyrein.com.

Merlau currently serves as Notes Editor for the George Mason Law Review. She is a graduate of Duke University, where she received an AB in Philosophy. Merlau was selected to receive the Burton Award for her comment "The State Giveth and the State Taketh: Constitutional Pension Protections and the Retroactive Removal of Public Pension Tax Exemptions.”  

As a Burton Award winner, Merlau has been invited to attend the organization's 14th annual black-tie presentation of the Burton Awards at a reception and dinner in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2013. Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Supreme Court will be presented with the Contemporary Book of the Year in Law Award at the event, which will also feature a performance by Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award nominee Vanessa Williams.

Founded in 1999, the Burton Awards program is run in association with the Library of Congress and its Law Library. Nominations for the award are made by law school deans and managing partners of the 1000 largest U.S. law firms. Fifteen Burton Award law school winners are selected annually from law schools across the nation to receive the award, which honors partners in law firms and law students who set a high standard for clarity and effectiveness in legal writing. 

The awards are selected, generally, by law professors from selected universities. Judge Richard Posner (7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals); Chief Judge Alex Kozinski (9th Cirucit U.S. Court of Appeals); U.S. Senator John Cornyn; U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.; Congressman Spencer Bachus; Judge Judith S. Kaye (Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals) (retired); and Supreme Court Justice Carol Corrigan of California are among the honorary members of the Board of Trustees.

Read more about the Burton Awards

The symposium topic was Defending Against Cyber-Intrusions from State-Sponsored and Civilian Hackers. A crowd of approximately 130 attendees were present for the event.

Joining Hayden were Suzanne Spaulding, Deputy Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Ronald Lee, a partner at Arnold & Porter. Dr. Mark Troutman, Associate Director of the Center for Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security at George Mason University School of Law, served as moderator for the symposium.

Photos are available online.

The National Security Law Journal, most recent of Mason's student-run journal publications, has been listed by both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble in the top ten titles for national security law.

Of the nearly 300 teams competing in this year's moot, George Mason advanced, tying for ninth place overall in the competition for the second year in a row, and all of the team members eligible to receive individual recognition did so. Matt Brown (3L), Jonathan Rhodes (3L), and Daniel Rodriguez (3L) all received Honorable Mentions for Best Individual Oralist. More than 1,800 students from 67 countries competed in this year's competition, among whom only 71 students  (roughly 4%) received such a distinction. George Mason was one of only five schools to have all three of its eligible students achieve individual recognition.

Brown, Rhodes, and Rodriguez argued alongside fellow teammates Spencer Nelson (3L) and Mark Probasco (3L) in the general rounds. Due to the rules of the competition, Nelson and Probasco were not eligible to compete for individual recognition, yet remained essential to the team's ultimate success.

The Vis Moot is structured by having each team compete in four general rounds. After those rounds, the top 64 of the 290 participating teams are selected to advance into a single-elimination bracket system.

As a team, George Mason repeated the success of its inaugural appearance at last year's competition. Once again, Mason advanced to the round of 64, where it defeated Jagiellonian University (Poland) to continue in the round of 32. The team then faced The University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), which it defeated by unanimous decision of the judges to again find itself in the round of 16. However, with several team members battling the onset of cold symptoms, George Mason was narrowly defeated in a 2-1 vote by Bucerius Law School (Germany).

In preparation for such a large competition, many schools compete and practice in “pre-moots” organized around the world. George Mason had the privilege to participate in the D.C. Pre-Moot held at DLA Piper's offices downtown, as well at the Central European Pre-Moot held in Budapest, Hungary. At the Budapest Pre-Moot, George Mason ranked second overall among the forty teams that participated, outranked only by the City University of Hong Kong.

City University of Hong Kong would go on to achieve success as the champions of the entire Vis Moot in Vienna, defeating Monash University (Australia) in the final round.

Through the course of arguments in the pre-moots and in the Vis Moot itself, the George Mason team competed against 14 different teams from 12 different countries: The United States, Lebanon, The Netherlands, France, Russia, Poland, Indonesia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Paraguay, and Argentina.

While the Alternative Dispute Resolution Society was able to send only five members overseas for the competition, students Tiago Bezerra (3L), Michelle Caton (2L), Anthony Kanakis (3L), Xin Nie (3L), Chenenye Okafor (2L), Michael Volz (2L) also participated as team members in the drafting of the two briefs for the event.

While the George Mason team traveled on its own to the competition in Budapest, it was accompanied in Vienna by its three dedicated coaches, adjunct professors Jack Tieder, Shelly Ewald, and Kathy Barnes, from the firm Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald, L.L.P.

ABOUT THE JLR

In 1998 the Judicial and Legislative Reception began as an opportunity to recognize and honor those who serve the people of our region in their capacities on the bench or in an elected position.

The reception features food and wine from across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each year the event continues to be a great success. This year’s JLR will be no different, showcasing several Virginia wineries and offering appetizers and desserts chosen to complement the wine selections.

The event has been characterized as “the premier legal event in Northern Virginia” with attorneys, judges, legislators and Mason Law alumni looking forward to this annual gathering. In each of the past several years, we have seen nearly 400 people honor us as guests.

Governors, members of Congress, state legislators, and federal and state court judges from Virginia and the District of Columbia have attended the JLR in past years.

We look forward to your joining us as a sponsor and a guest at this wonderful event.

Plan to join us on May 22! Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. for the 6:00 p.m. event, which will run until 8:30 in the evening. 

RSVP NOW FOR THE JLR

Click here to RSVP for the 16th Annual JLR on May 22, 2013. Single tickets are $40. Mason Law students and May 2013 graduates may purchase tickets at a reduced cost of $20. Please make checks payable to GMU Foundation and note "JLR" on the check. Mail to:

Alumni Association—JLR
George Mason University School of Law
3301 Fairfax Drive, Room 370
Arlington, VA 22201

Questions? Please contact Dana Fallon, Assistant Director of Alumni Services, at 703-993-9862 or dfallon@gmu.edu.

 
BECOME AN EVENT SPONSOR

Join 2013 Platinum Sponsor Charapp & Weiss at this great event. 

Sponsorships are available at the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels, and specific benefits are extended to sponsors as outlined in the Sponsorship Opportunities brochure. In addition, all sponsors will also receive recognition via an advertisement in Virginia Lawyers Weekly and on the evening of the event. A portion of your sponsorship is tax deductible.

The sponsorship deadline to be included in the Virginia Lawyers Weekly full-page color ad is 5 p.m. on May 3.

A NOTE CONCERNING PARKING

General parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis for guest in the Founders Hall parking garage in the B2 and B3 levels. Reserved parking is available on the B1 level to invited guests who are provided parking passes that must be displayed in the car. The Founders Hall garage is accessible from the rear of the Arlington campus buildings via entrances on either Kirkwood Road or Washington Boulevard. (See map at page bottom.)

The JLR will be held this year on the ground floor of Founders Hall. Take the Founders Hall elevator from the garage to the ground floor and follow signs to the event.
(Note: Founders Hall and Hazel Hall are now connected.) 

NBLSA is a national organization of African and African-American law students that works to further the professional needs and goals of black law students, to foster and encourage professional competence, and to instill in black attorneys and law students a greater awareness and commitment to the needs of the black community.

“The theme for my term is Road to 50: An Evolving Legacy,” says Walker. “NBLSA will celebrate its 50^th anniversary in 2018, and I hope to continue to build up the infrastructure of the organization to support the celebration of such a momentous occasion.” In addition to that goal, Walker adds, “We will also continue to implement our advocacy and networking programs.”

In her role this year as chair of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Walker oversaw the implementation of all regional programs for the academic year, including foundational programs such as the Annual Job Fair, academic retreats, pre-law camps, and the Annual Regional Convention. Regional members were also introduced to some new initiatives, such as Mock Interview Day, a Voter Suppression Series, and a Winter Break Service Trip.

“I have been involved at the local, regional, and national levels of NBLSA because I believe the professional networking opportunities that are presented by this organization are simply unparalleled,” Walker explains. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet and get to know many of the current and future leaders of the legal profession (and other professions). NBLSA does a great job of helping law students get the most out of their law school experiences, and this is why I continue to participate in the organization.”

Mason Law has an active chapter of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) for which Walker served as the 2011–12 president and the 2012–13 treasurer. The local chapter works to provide a solid academic and social support system for its members and sponsors a number of community service activities. For information, go to org.law.gmu.edu/blsa/.

Below is a link to view the auction booklet including all of the items that will be available on Thursday night:

http://www.law.gmu.edu/assets/files/students/2013AuctionBooklet.pdf

Live auction item 13 now includes Nationals tickets! Several of the live auction items are for multiple students to enjoy and so it is good idea to plan ahead with a group of friends who will bid together.

If you have any questions about the APIL Auction, please email the APIL at gmu.apil@gmail.com.

Brody's comment is entitled "Circumventing the Electoral College: Why the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact Survives Constitutional Scrutiny Under the Compact Clause." 

Under the national popular vote plan, votes cast in large and small states would have equal weight, thereby eliminating the need to focus campaigns on the swing states and allowing presidential campaigns to truly reflect a national vote. 

"I think the Electoral College is one of the most misunderstood components of our national election system," says Brody. "The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) would only complicate matters, but it might present the only realistic opportunity for this country to move to a direct national popular vote for president. I chose to focus my article on the legality of the NPVIC under the sparsely cited Compact Clause in Article 1 of the Constitution."

Brody is a 2013 JD candidate. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, where he was awarded a BA in journalism.

Read Brody's comment

The five students selected for this honor will receive a paid registration to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims 12th Judicial Conference to be held April 18 and 19 at the Grand Hyatt Washington, as well as free registration to the Bar Association's half-day component event which follows. The conference will include presentations from notable authorities in the field of Veterans Law.

The subject of Wistow's essay was the current problems facing the VA disability claims processing system, specifically focusing on problems caused by the disability rating system itself and how PTSD is both diagnosed and treated.

 "I found it striking that the current number of VA disability claims is expected to increase, adding to an already staggering backlog of cases and lengthening wait-times through out the system," Wistow comments. "The VA disability system recently became an important issue for my family, and after Professor Goldberg helped guide me to write a seminar paper on the subject last semester, I felt compelled to write another paper on the issue."

Wistow holds a BA in Economics from Gettysburg College. He will graduate from the law school  in May 2013.

Students and alumni are invited to join the GMU IP Law Society for the 2013 Mason Law IP Alumni Reception.  This event is a chance for current students and alumni interested in intellectual property law to meet, reconnect, and network over hors d’oeuvres and drinks.  Details of the event are:

Date: Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Time: 5:30-7:30 pm

Location: Faculty Conference Room, Floor 2, GMU Arlington Campus

RSVP: To gmu.ipls@gmail.com by Friday, March 29.

A second Mason team consisting of Alfred Bender (3L), Rebecca Hartrick (3L), and Kelly Van Voorhis (2L) made it into the first advancing round of the Washington, D.C., regional competition this year.

The inaugural issue comprises three scholarly articles and two student notes. The scholarly article topics include a comparative analysis between the United States military and the People's Liberation Army of China, an analysis of how best to balance the right to self-defense with the prevention of civilian casualties in military combat, and an overview of international port security law. Student notes include a discussion on the issue of due process and citizen targeting by the commander-in-chief and the right to counsel for Guantanamo detainees.

Patrick J. Austin serves as editor-in chief for the journal. Frank A. Barber Jr. and Brendan Cassidy function as executive editor and managing editor, respectively.

Also of note, the NSLJ will sponsor a spring symposium on cybersecurity the evening of Tuesday, April 2, at the Washington, D.C., law office of Arnold & Porter, LLP. General (Ret.) Michael Hayden, former director of the National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency, will headline the event.

Read the inaugural issue of the NSLJ.

Entitled “Do Facebook and Twitter Make You a Public Figure?: How to Apply the Gertz Public Figure Doctrine to Social Media,” Lafferman’s comment discusses whether courts will, and should, treat Facebook and Twitter users as public figures who would be subject to establishing a higher burden of proof to recover for damages when bringing defamation suits.

“The Comment addresses the main problem surrounding this issue—whether social media users have ‘significantly greater access to the channels of communication,’ which the U.S. Supreme Court relied on as a major rationale for finding certain individuals public figures in the seminal case Gertz v. Welch,” says Lafferman.  “The Comment goes on to reconcile these legal and policy challenges and suggests an approach to help courts avoid any legal or policy repercussions from adopting alternative approaches.”

“This topic really piqued my interest upon discovering that in the last three years alone, there has been a 216% rise in defamation suits, due to the recent discovery that most homeowner's insurance policies cover libel liability,” explains Lafferman. “As social media use continues to spread, this increase in suits signals an almost inevitable rise in defamation suits between social media users, forcing courts to eventually deal with the issue.”

Lafferman, a May 2013 JD candidate, also holds a BA in History, magna cum laude, awarded by Sewanee: The University of the South in 2009.

Camacho's article, "I Could Have Been a Contender: Arbitration and the Ali Act," will be released next month in the Sports Lawyers Journal, at 20 Sports Law.J. __ (Spring 2013). A second article, "Is the E-Reader Mightier? Direct Publishing and Entry Barriers," has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Scholarly Publishing, at 44 J. Scholarly Publ'g __ (July 2013). 

Camacho, a graduate of the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing, credits several of his law school professors for their valuable contributions to the writing of his journal articles.

 "'I Could Have Been a Contender: Arbitration and the Ali Act' emerged from my strong affection for the sport of boxing," says Camacho." Having interviewed world champions and covered world title fights, I felt the need to comment on the business of the sport." He offers these words from the abstract: "People often say the sport of boxing is corrupt, and in 2000, the United States Congress passed the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act to stop the corruption. However, the Ali Act failed to fix boxing because litigation was too slow and expensive for boxers. Arbitration can help the Ali Act return to its original legislative purpose: stopping corruption and fixing the boxing business." Camacho cites Professor Ilya Somin as being very helpful in formulating his thoughts for the Article.

"'Is the E-Reader Mightier? Direct Publishing and Entry Barriers' came out of a longstanding interest (and one shared by many lawyers, I believe) in novel-writing and the publishing market," Camacho explains. Here is an excerpt: "First-time authors face a choice: do they pursue traditional publication through major publishing houses, or do they instead utilize online direct publishing? This Article asks: what would a young John Grisham do today with his first novel in hand?" "Professor Thomas Hazlett and Professor Tyler Cowen gave very instructive input during the writing of this Article," Camacho comments.

Weeks’ comment is entitled Picking Up the Tab for Your Competitors: Innovator Liability After Pliva, Inc. v. Mensing, 19 Geo. Mason L. Rev. 1257 (2012).

The Alabama case was Wyeth, Inc. v. Weeks, in which the court held that a brand-name manufacturer could be held liable for fraud or misrepresentation based on statements it made in connection with the manufacture of a drug in an action brought by a consumer who was allegedly injured by a generic version of the drug.

Alabama Justice Murdock cited Weeks’ comment to support the idea that even proponents of the majority’s outcome conceded the result as unfair to brand-name manufacturers.

Weeks, a 2013 JD candidate, is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, where he earned a BA in Anthropology. He currently serves as articles editor of the George Mason Law Review. 

The decision in  Janus Capital Grp., Inc. v. First Derivative Traders is the most recent in a line of cases examining what is necessary to allege primary versus secondary liability under the securities laws. 

The writing competition is held in the fall and open to students currently enrolled at an accredited degree-granting law school in the United States. The topic may be any subject within the field of securities law. Submissions are screened by a panel of judges consisting of securities practitioners and law professors, with winners chosen by the Board of Directors of ASECA from among the top papers.

Goldstein's second-place finish brings with it a cash prize of $3,000, which will be awarded at the annual ASECA dinner in Washington, D.C., on Friday, February 22, 2013.

A 2013 JD candidate, Goldstein currently serves as Associate Editor of the George Mason Law Review. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont with a BA in Economics and Environmental Studies.

Read more about the competition

The January 7 Time article by David Isenburg examines the U.S. military establishment's traditional immunity for casualties that occur to those in uniform and whether immunity is warranted in cases involving civilian contractors. Isenburg discusses several pertinent cases and cites Nelson's conclusion that the Koohi case presents the most appropriate handling of the issue.

"When considered in light of Legislative and Executive Branch intent, the Koohi holding is appropriate because it recognizes that private contractors have a duty of care and risk civil and criminal liability, but that risk excludes those 'against whom force is directed as a result of authorized military action,'" writes Nelson.

Nelson's article, "Establishing a Practical Solution for Tort Claims Against Private Military Contractors: Analyzing the Federal Tort Claims Act's 'Combatant Activities Exception' Via a Circuit Split," originally was published in the George Mason University Civil Rights Law Journal, for which Nelson serves as Articles Editor.

By popular demand, Mason Law will host its traditional pre-exam puppyfest on Friday, November 30, at 11:00 a.m. in an effort to ease the demands of study, if only briefly, for its law students.

For a two-hour period that day, students can put aside their books and outlines and turn their attention to the joys of watching puppies cavort, snuggling with a small creature on the shoulder, or getting a few much-needed licks on the face or hand.

The visiting puppies come to Mason Law via A Forever-Home Rescue Foundation, a non-profit dog rescue group in Chantilly that operates in the Northern Virginia/Washington Metropolitan area. Its stated goal is finding permanent homes for dogs by making quality dogs available for adoption and matching prospective adopters with the right animal. 

The event, now referred to as "Puppy Day," was the brainchild of law school staff member Rusty O'Connor and is made possible by Debbie Marson of the foundation, who arrives along with her volunteers and the puppies, which are placed in small enclosures in the law school atrium, there to await the ministrations of students longing for a quiet moment in the midst of a hectic time.

Plan to spend some time in the Levy Atrium between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on November 30 to enjoy the opportunity to connect with these little creatures, all of whom are in need of permanent homes. 

Mason Law students Tom Randall (far left) and Mark Henderson, both of whom expect to graduate in May 2013,  recently received the news that their papers had been selected for the honor. In addition, on November 7 Randall and Henderson each will receive an award at the annual meeting of the International Trade Commission Trial Lawyers Association in Washington, D.C., for having written one of the top three submissions to the publication. 

Randall's article is titled "Standard-Essential Patents and Exclusion Orders: Weighing the Public Interest" and generally discusses the International Trade Commission's authority to decline to issue exclusion orders for products that rely on standard-essential technology, using the Commission's "publlic interest" authority. Randall wrote the article while spending the summer in the IP group at King & Spaulding LLP's New York Office.

"The selection for publication and the award are a great honor, and I'm looking forward to the ITC-TLA (Trial Lawyers Association) with Chief Judge Rader of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals," commented Randall. "The topic itself is of growing importance in patent law, and I was glad to have the opportunity to write on it."

Henderson, who was a summer associate at Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt L.L.P., was co-author with Siddharth Narayan of "Deep Impact Or Business As Usual? An Analysis Of The Potential Effects Of The AIA On Section 337 Investigations." Narayan is a University of Maryland JD candidate.

OCTOBER

Presidential Management Fellows Program Information Session for Mason Law
Monday, October 1, 5:00 – 6:00 pm

Day in the Life:  Corporate Counsel, presented by the ABA
Tuesday, October 2, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 225

Pathways to the Federal Government: Paid Internship Program Information Session
Tuesday, October 9, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 329

Day in the Life of a Criminal Law Lawyer (sponsored by the Criminal Law Association and CAAS)
Thursday, October 11, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 329  

Trial Advocacy Competition
Saturday, October 13, and Sunday, October 14, all day, Hazel Hall

Advice from a Career Professional: The Federal Government Hiring Process
Monday, October 15, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 225

Mason Law Clinics and Externship Programs Information Session
Wednesday, October 17, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 221

Public Interest Career Panel (sponsored by the VBA Pro Bono Society, American Constitution Society, the Association for Public Interest Law, and CAAS)
Thursday, October 18, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 329 

Fundamental Skills Workshop IV – Exam Preparation I
Saturday, October 20, 9:30 – 11:00 am, Room 120

Presidential Management Fellows Program Information Session for Mason Law
Monday, October 22, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 120 

Day in the Life: International Law (ABA Pathways to International Law Careers)
Tuesday, October 23, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 225

Civil Rights Law Journal Symposium: Issues in the Marriage Debate (sponsored by the Civil Rights Law Journal, the American Constitution Society, and the Federalist Society)
Tuesday, October 23, 5:30 – 8:00 pm, Founders Hall Auditorium

CLEARANCE DENIED: The Most Common Pitfalls for Security Clearance Applications
Wednesday, October 24, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 225 

Careers in Communications Law (sponsored by the Internet, Telecomm, and Media Law Association and CAAS)
Thursday, October 25, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room TBA

SBA Casino Night
Thursday, October 25 

Equal Justice Works Public Service Career Fair
Friday, October 26 & Saturday, October 27

Day in the Life: Immigration Law (sponsored by the Immigration Law Society and CAAS)
Tuesday, October 30, 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Room 225 

Distinguished Alumni Present: Practical Tips on How to Outline and Study for Exams
Date TBA 

The 2012 entering class has a median LSAT of 163* and a median undergraduate GPA of 3.70*. Sixty percent of the entering students are male, while 40 percent are female. Virginia residents make up 44 percent of the class, with the remaining 56 percent coming to Mason Law from outside the Commonwealth. Within the entering class, 118 first-year students attend classes as day students and 29 attend as evening students.

Matriculants represent four countries, including the United States, and hail from 28 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, individuals hold a total of 20 advanced degrees, including 9 MAs, 2 MSs, 4 MBAs, 1 MD, and 4 PhDs.

The law school also welcomed 23 transfer students in fall 2012. Forty-three percent of these students are female, and 57% of them are male. Among the transfer students, three hold MAs.

*as of August 10, 2012

Orientation activities begin for first-year law students on Friday evening with a welcome and their introductory Legal Research, Writing and Analysis (LRWA) class, followed a happy hour.

Orientation continues on Saturday for first-year law students, new transfer students, and new LLM students with a day of activities that includes a luncheon, a law and economics class, and a series of breakout sessions that cover Career and Academic Services, Library and Technology Services, and a question-and-answer session with administrators and current students.

At the conclusion of Saturday's Orientation program, first-year law students will join upperclass law students for the annual Student Bar Association (SBA) Barbecue. The SBA president will kick off the event with a message to new students, and first-year law students will meet their mentors at the event. 

A generic version of the Orientation brochure is available here, while section-specific brochures are available on the Admissions Office Intranet site under Events/Orientation. 

Daniel J. Wisniewski

In addition to winning a cash prize of $500, Wisniewski's paper will be published in the Journal of Supreme Court History. Wisniewski and a guest have been invited to attend the June 2013 Annual Meeting and Dinner at the Supreme Court, where a Justice will present him with a piece of marble from the Supreme Court building as a memento of the honor. 

In the mid-1850s, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert C. Grier was investigated by Congress for allegedly soliciting a bribe and releasing inside court information in connection with the case Pennsylvania v. Wheeling & Belmont Bridge Co. (1856).  Wisniewski's article uses two newly discovered letters from Grier to Hendrick B. Wright, the Congressman responsible for investigating him, to corroborate some of the charges leveled against him and to suggest that Grier had a heavy hand in the preparation of his own exoneration.

In congratulating Wisniewski, Journal of Supreme Court History Managing Editor Clare Cushman said, "We are especially thrilled to have a paper on Grier, who has not gotten much attention in our pages."

In addition to the JD he was awarded at the May 2012 law school convocation, Wisniewski holds a BA in History/Political Science from Monmouth University. He credits Professor Ross Davies for the inspiration to write the paper, as well as for Davies' suggestion he submit the article for the Hughes-Gossett Award.

Says Davies, "The award is very well-deserved—Dan wrote a great paper." 

Please check the law school's website periodically for an announcement of the revised date for this event, which will most likely take place in the early part of 2013. Information also will be posted on the National Security Law Journal's website.