Program Highlights

Keynote Speakers

NYLF Law & CSI students hear from some of the most respected people in the fields of law and crime scene investigation (CSI). We've been pleased to host experts from national branches of the criminal justice system as well as esteemed legal professionals, activists, and forensic scientists. These distinguished guests will inspire you with stories of their experiences and lessons learned.

Distinguished past speakers have included:

• Jason Kolowski, Ph.D., Principal Consultant, Forensic Insight Consulting, LLC
• Marvin Anderson, Board Chair, The Innocence Project
• Jonathan Turley, Professor, The George Washington University Law School
• Les Rowe, Attorney, United States Department of Justice
• Dr. Moses Schanfield, Professor of Forensics, George Washington University
• Edward Hailes, Attorney, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
• John Douglas, Legendary Profiler and FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit Founder
• Candice DeLong, Former Head Profiler, FBI San Francisco Field Office

Law & CSI Career Seminars

Participate in small-group seminars where you can interact with practicing lawyers, professors, detectives, and forensic scientists as they share their knowledge and answer student questions.

George Mason University Law & CSI Experiences

You'll have the option to select one of two career experiences—law or CSI—for a day-long simulation led by George Mason University professors.

The Legal Career Experience

Interested in the study of law? Hear from George Mason University School of Law representatives and visit a local courthouse to get a look at the life of a law school student and the day-to-day activities of law professionals. You’ll spend the day interacting with faculty and prominent Washington, D.C. attorneys to learn about specific areas of focus within the law, the various career tracks available to you, and the opportunities and challenges facing legal professionals today. Gain information about law schools across the U.S., including the application and enrollment process, state bars, costs, and job prospects. On a visit to a local courthouse, you’ll see law professionals in action and get an inside look at courthouse operations and proceedings. To conclude your law experience, you'll participate in a mock trial in the courthouse.

The Crime Scene Investigation Experience

If CSI is your focus, you’ll immerse yourself in the exciting and challenging world of forensic science during hands-on workshops led by George Mason University faculty. During this full-day experience, you’ll develop the skills needed to be successful in a CSI career as you take on the role of a forensic investigator, working a simulated crime scene. This is a great chance to learn about the high-tech mechanisms used in analyzing forensics and see how your findings impact legal proceedings. You'll also learn about the college pathways that can lead to a career in CSI, including degree options and levels, and gain an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing forensic science professionals today.

Supreme Court or Investigative Simulation

Together with your peers, you'll participate in either a Supreme Court (law) or Investigative (CSI) simulation.

In the Supreme Court simulation, you'll re-create an actual United States Supreme Court Case to learn about the importance of case law precedence and how to use it to form and support a legal argument. During this exciting simulation, you'll take on the role of a justice, a lawyer for the petitioner, or a lawyer for the respondent and work with a team of your peers to identify areas to strengthen your case. You'll apply your legal knowledge to prepare written and oral arguments, ask questions, and render decisions. Through this simulation, you'll develop an understanding of the procedures of the U.S. Supreme Court and learn the differences between an appellate argument and a factual argument.

During the Investigative simulation, you'll learn about the important disciplines in the investigation process, such as forensic artistry, police interviews, and criminal profiling. You'll complete facial composite sketches, analyze evidence, examine a simulated crime scene, and interview witnesses while assembling a case file on a potential suspect. Through this simulation, you'll learn about the reliability of eyewitnesses and how to reconstruct a crime scene's sequence of events with some of the same technology utilized by police departments and law enforcement teams.

From Crime Scene to Trial

Get hands-on during a mock trial activity designed to provide you with an inside look at trial court procedure. You and your peers will assume various roles in a homicide case, including witnesses and attorneys, and use your legal and investigative skills to examine each component of the case and formulate viable theories and scenarios. If you are a part of the CSI teams, you'll conduct hair and fiber analysis, indented handwriting and fingerprint analysis, bloodstain pattern analysis, and laboratory analysis to critically examine and determine how each piece of a case builds on the others and progresses to a provable conclusion. If you are a part of the legal teams, you'll study legal briefs and use the information gained during the analysis and take on the role of an attorney for the defendant or the prosecution and present your case to a jury.

Please note: We are currently evaluating all aspects of NYLF Law & CSI and may make changes to the curriculum or site visits to ensure the program meets the most up-to-date health and safety standards.