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George Mason University Renames Law School The "Antonin Scalia School of Law"

Christine Rousselle
Christine Rousselle  |  March 31, 2016 5:05 PM

George Mason University will rename their law school "The Antonin Scalia School of Law" after receiving two donations totaling $30 million. These gifts are the largest in school history. While the name change isn't official yet, everything is expected to be switched to the new name by July. (To avoid the awkward acronym that many pointed out was formed by the new name, the school will probably be referred to as "Scalia Law School.")

The change still needs a final go-ahead from Virginia’s higher education oversight agency, which is expected to give its blessing.

The school’s dean expects that people will call it Scalia Law School for short. By July, all the school’s signage and marketing materials will bear the late justice’s name, school officials said.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in a statement that the renaming is a fitting tribute to her late colleague and close friend, who died Feb. 13.

The 37-year-old public law school, which is part of the Virginia state university system, enrolls about 500 students and was placed in the top 50 in U.S. News and World Report’s most recent ranking of top law schools. Its faculty is known for its libertarian and free-market leanings. Many of the professors have backgrounds on Capitol Hill.

The $30 million comes from two sources. An anonymous donor who asked for the renaming gave $20 million. Another $10 million came from the charity founded by the billionaire conservative activist and industrial magnate Charles Koch.

Naturally, some people were very upset with the name change:

And others were thrilled: