Student Services

See also: Campus Information

George Mason University School of Law provides many support services designed to enhance the law school experience and enable students to take full advantage of the university's educational and personal enrichment opportunities.

The Records Office maintains the records of enrolled students and provides information relating to schedules, registration, academic programs, readmission, and degree requirements. The Admissions Office retains the files of current applicants and provides information concerning advanced standing for transfer students.

Career, Academic and Alumni Services provides academic counseling to students on issues such as course selection, obtaining academic assistance, and special needs or disability support. In addition, CAAS develops programs to introduce students to the law school's senior staff, faculty, and alumni.

CAAS also provides assistance to current students seeking part-time and summer employment, graduating students seeking permanent positions, and alumni. The office is a clearinghouse for information on available positions, coordinates on-campus interviews, and provides advice on resume preparation, interviewing techniques, and other aspects of a successful employment search. The office also coordinates various alumni activities, including a number of continuing legal education programs and reunions.

Below are additional services offered through the university and law school.

Arts and Entertainment

We encourage law students to take advantage of the activities and services available at our Fairfax Campus. The Patriot Center, a 10,000-seat arena, is home to George Mason University sports events, community programs, and concerts. The Center for the Arts and Harris Theater provide world-class arts events, dance, music, and theater performances. The Recreation Sports Complex offers indoor and outdoor tracks and playing fields, a weight room and sauna, volleyball, basketball, and handball courts, and other facilities.

Bookstore

The Arlington Bookstore, which is managed by Barnes and Noble, provides all textbooks and school supplies for the Arlington Campus, as well as stamps, greeting cards, and gifts. They can be reached at 703-993-8170.

Cafeteria

The Law School building houses a cafeteria on level B1 that provides a variety of fresh sandwiches, salads, and grilled items. For the most current hours and other information, see George Mason Dining Services.

Computing Facilities

In addition to using the two computer labs available in the Law Library, students may use the labs in the original building on the Arlington Campus. Students may also take advantage of computing resources on the Fairfax Campus.

Counseling Services

The Counseling Service's staff of professional counselors helps students reach their academic, social, and personal goals. Counselors assist in making appropriate choices concerning education and work, developing effective study skills, and managing personal problems that interfere with learning. Services are available at no charge to all university students. Counseling Services is accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services. All services to students are confidential, and no information is released without the student's written consent.

Minority Student Affairs, the Disability Resource Center, and Veterans Services at the Fairfax Campus provide specialized assistance, where a professional staff helps students achieve personal, social, and academic goals. Sexual Assault Services is available for both men and women and includes information on sexual assault, sexual harassment, and stalking; crisis intervention; psychological, medical, and judicial support; and volunteer/intern opportunities.

Financial Aid

George Mason University’s Office of Student Financial Aid, located at the Fairfax Campus, provides a variety of services to assist students in financing their education. These services include counseling, referral, and financial assistance through loans, scholarships, and work-study programs. George Mason University participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program.

Students who have questions may call the Direct On-Line Aid Resource System (DOLARS) at (703) 993-4GMU, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid on the World Wide Web, or schedule an appointment to meet with a financial aid counselor. The financial aid office also has weekly hours on the Arlington Campus on Tuesdays from 3 pm to 7 pm in Hazel Hall Room 341 (Records Office).

A small number of fellowship grants are awarded to incoming law students each year on the basis of merit. See Scholarship and Fellowship Programs under Financing Your Legal Education for more information.

The Virginia War Orphans Program provides educational assistance to children of qualified veterans. To be eligible, an applicant must meet the following requirements:

1. The applicant must be between the ages of 16 and 25.
2. The applicant's parent must have served in the armed forces of the United States and must: (a) be totally disabled due to an injury or disease incurred in a time of armed conflict; or (b) have died as a result of injury or disease incurred in a time of armed conflict; or (c) be listed as a prisoner of war or missing in action.
3. The applicant's parent must have been a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia at the time of entry into active military duty, or must have been a resident of the state for at least 10 consecutive years immediately prior to the date of application.
4. The applicant must provide written verification of acceptance as a student in a state-supported, postsecondary school.

Eligible individuals are entitled to a maximum of 48 months of tuition-free education at a state-supported educational institution. For more information contact the Office of Veterans Services.

Health Services

Student Health Services has opened an office on the Arlington campus in the Truland Building, Suite 150. The office is open two days a week. For current hours and to schedule an appointment, call 703-993-4863. Student Health Services is available to current George Mason students from any of the campuses, regardless of whether they have health insurance. Most services are free, although there are minimal fees for select procedures and lab tests. Law students may also use the Student Health Services facilities on the Fairfax Campus. Students may also purchase health insurance policies through the university.

Housing

While there is no on-campus housing in Arlington, housing opportunities (rooms, apartments, and houses to rent) in the area are plentiful. Students who do not plan to bring a car may want to seek housing that is near a Metrorail station. Areas within close commuting distance include all of Arlington (particularly the Rosslyn, Clarendon, Court House, and Ballston neighborhoods) and parts of Alexandria and Falls Church.

The most current comprehensive information on housing is available in Sunday issues of the Washington Post and the Washington Times. Individuals with rooms, apartments, or houses to rent also post notices on the bulletin boards near the law school elevator. The Law School provides a website for posting housing and roommate information called Mason Law Classifieds. The University's Off-Campus Housing web site lists services that assist Mason students with locating housing within the Northern Virginia and D.C. Metropolitan area. Finally, the Federation of Off-Campus Students hosts a housing site called liveoffcampus.com.

Publications

The law school offers ample opportunity for students to write and edit for publication. The George Mason Law Review is a general-interest law journal managed and edited by students. Members are selected based on a combination of academic performance and a writing competition.

Students manage and edit the Federal Circuit Bar Journal, which publishes work by practitioners, academicians, and law students on issues that fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit. Topics can range from patent-related and trademark issues, to vaccination disputes, veterans appeals and environmental and natural resources litigation. The Federal Circuit Bar Journal is a national, quarterly, publication and is the official journal for the Federal Circuit Bar Association and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit). Students are selected for membership based on academic performance and a writing competition.

Students at George Mason also produce the George Mason Civil Rights Law Journal, which publishes professional articles and student work on civil rights and civil liberties law. Members are selected by the editorial board based on a writing sample, grades, and other factors.

The Journal of Law, Economics and Policy ("JLEP") represents a unique undertaking. It is the first student-run journal of law and economics in legal academia. The journal serves as an outlet for the experience and interests of George Mason law students, including our Levy Fellows, who are economics Ph.D.'s currently working on their J.D.'s. Most importantly, it is structured as a cooperative journal. Although student-edited, the journal is peer-reviewed, ensuring that the published articles are of the highest quality.

The student newspaper, The Docket, is published biweekly. Staff membership is open to any George Mason law student. Contact The Docket staff at docket@gmu.edu.

Students also have opportunities to work in the editorial process of the Supreme Court Economic Review, a peer-reviewed scholarly journal emphasizing economic analysis of U.S. Supreme Court decisions.