The George Mason University Antonin Scalia School of Law Juris Masters Criminal Justice concentration can be completed 100% online or in a hybrid online/on-campus format.
3 Credits
This course is designed to provide JM students with an overview of United States law. The coursework will cover general areas of law, including regulatory and business law, as well as contracts, property and tort law, and their applicability in public institutions and business settings. This course will not provide an exhaustive survey of each topic, but rather provide exposure to a large amount of foundational information in a short period of time.
2 Credits
This course is designed to introduce JM students to legal research methods, knowledge of general legal concepts, and the art of reading and interpreting legal writing. Students will learn the research, analysis and writing process through an assigned series of open and closed memoranda.
2 Credits
Economics for Lawyers (formerly Economic Foundations of Legal Studies) exposes students to a broad survey of economic, statistical, finance and accounting concepts as they play a crucial role in determining the outcome of legal disputes. Students will not become expert in these technical areas but will be exposed to both the mechanics and subtleties of these tools. The goal is to educate and train students so that they will be better prepared to understand a dispute, craft an argument, or prepare a witness.
4 Credits
This course will provide JM students with an introduction to the principles of contract law, including the consideration doctrine, offer and acceptance, promissory estoppel, and the regulation of the bargaining process; as well as the relationship of contract law in government and business organizations. The course will also provide an overview of contractual interpretation, and basic knowledge regarding excuse and remedies.
2 Credits
This course is designed to provide JM students with an avenue to draw upon the legal knowledge they have received, and to further develop the problem-solving orientation and skills to interact with attorneys, recognize legal issues and flag applicable law. As a “capstone,” students will select their own topic within their field of employment and pursue material directly related to their profession on which they will write a thesis under faculty supervision.
2 Credits
This course is an extension of Capstone I. Students will research and draft their theses under the guidance of a faculty member.
2 Credits
This course will expose students to laws and policies relating to government surveillance, from traditional criminal wiretaps to high-tech surveillance conducted as part of the global war on terrorism. The coursework will involve a survey of the Fourth Amendment’s search and seizure case law and the application of that body of law to government surveillance efforts. Issues discussed will include wiretaps in drug and organized crime cases, warrantless surveillance programs in the ’60-‘70s, legislative efforts to constrain surveillance; the expansion of government surveillance following the attacks of 9/11, and the implications of new surveillance technologies in an increasingly cyber- and technology-oriented world.
