The Fairfax County Circuit Court Virtual Judicial Learning Center launched today is the first site of its kind in the nation to be hosted by a state trial court. CML helped develop the site's consent and is playing a key role in the web and physical sites' creation. Designed to promote public understanding and appreciation of the judicial branch and, in particular, the county Circuit Court, the JLC offers students and residents new ways to explore civics and the pursuit of civil rights in Virginia and its largest jurisdiction, Fairfax.
George Mason University is represented in the project through participation of CML—a joint project of University Libraries and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The center's faculty and students joined a team of assembled by the Court in 2024 with members drawn from court staff, representatives of Fairfax's bar association, and experts from Fairfax County Public Schools, working with an exhibit design firm. Mason history alumna and doctoral student Georgia Brown, as the Court's lead archivist and a CML community affiliate, was instrumental in keeping the project on track.
“The Judicial Learning Center of Fairfax County is the first JLC at any state trial court in the entire country... Fairfax County residents can now engage with the Judiciary and the county’s history in a new way right at home.” ---Clerk of Court Chris Falcon.
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The website launch is phase one of a project that, when complete, will include in-person exhibits at the Fairfax Courthouse for students and the general public. Inspired by similar content at Virginia's Supreme Court, it introduces and reinforces key civics concepts with material conforming to student grade levels and classroom instruction. JLC exhibits at the court, presented in a court-like program space, will complement middle school court education tours operated by the Fairfax Bar Association since 1976 that feature mock trials, meetings with attorneys and judges, and observing real trials.
Clerk of Court Chris Falcon, who started JLC planning upon taking office in 2024, said the web launch breaks new ground nationally in helping residents understand history and social change in their region. “The Judicial Learning Center of Fairfax County is the first JLC at any state trial court in the entire country. It supports the Court Tour Program and highlights court cases from Fairfax County that have assisted in charting a course toward a more just society. Fairfax County residents can now engage with the Judiciary and the county’s history in a new way right at home,” he said.