Cybersecurity, Intelligence, and National Security LL.M. students have a wide range of opportunities to get involved on campus, including engaging, networking, and working alongside experts in government and industry, and attending unique programming.
Additionally, the National Security Institute (NSI) at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School is dedicated to educating students and finding real-world answers to national security law and policy questions. Through NSI, students have unparalleled access to national security experts in the federal government and the private sector, including a group of over 100 highly distinguished current and former national security policymakers and industry leaders who make up NSI’s Advisory Board, Faculty, and Fellows.
NSI also offers students research and writing opportunities, the chance to study with a Supreme Court Justice in Italy for the summer, on-campus national security related programming, internship and externships with leading employers, and other professional networking opportunities with lawyers working in the cyber, intelligence and national security communities.
On-Campus Events
The National Security Institute hosts high-profile events, including conferences, fireside chats and book events, that feature key decision-makers, engage the wider national security community, and advance the most critical debates in the field. Recent events include a symposium on the military's role in space featuring experts in space law and policy, a fireside chat on the latest national security challenges, and a conference exploring threats to democracy featuring leaders from the fields of national security, law, and the media. NSI also hosts a distinguished speakers series in which prominent Members of Congress, executive branch officials, and key opinion leaders outside of government give major policy addresses to the NSI audience.Professional Development & Networking
Student Brown Bags
The National Security Institute hosts a student brown bag series to bring national security practitioners to Scalia Law School to share their professional insight with students in a more informal setting. Past speakers have included leaders from Capitol Hill, the United Nations, and the private sector.
Career Panels
NSI regularly hosts career panels to provide students the opportunity both to learn about careers in national security law and policy and to engage and network with national security leaders in the private and public sectors.
Externships & Internships
The National Security Institute is also able to leverage relationships with its Advisory Board members, faculty, and fellows, to identify unique student externship and internship opportunities with government agencies, Congressional offices, and private sector companies in the Washington, DC area.
Research & Writing Opportunities
Every semester and during the summer, National Security Institute hires student research assistants to assist NSI experts and faculty with scholarly publications and policy papers on topics ranging from data privacy, international cyber norms, 5G technology, to the militarization of space. Research Assistants also support NSI's weekly podcast - Fault Lines - with research and post-recording assistance.M-VETS: The Mason Veterans and Service Members Legal Clinic
M-VETS enables students to get hands-on experience working directly on behalf of armed service members and their families in a wide variety of litigation and non-litigation matters.Guantanamo Bay Hearings
Students have the opportunity to visit Guantanamo Bay Naval Station to attend and observe military commission proceedings. These opportunities deepen a student’s understanding of the critical role that attorneys play in counterterrorism efforts.Student Organizations
Scalia Law School has a large number of student organizations, many of which focus on national security related issues, some of which include: - National Security Law Journal: NSLJ is a biannual student-edited law journal that covers the field of national security law, including legal issues related to diplomacy, intelligence, homeland security, and the military.
- Mason Intelligence and National Security Law Association: MINSLA brings together law students to learn about the practice of national security law and make meaningful connections with industry practitioners.
- Space Law Society: SLS encourages and supports students interested in learning more about “space law” and the national and international laws and customs that govern human activities in outer space.
For a list of all student organizations visit: https://www.law.gmu.edu/students/orgs/