Fairfax County Launches Virtual Judicial Learning Center

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County has launched a virtual Judicial Learning Center designed to help students and residents learn more about the court system and the role of civil rights cases in Virginia history.

The Judicial Learning Center of Fairfax County focuses on the judicial branch, with particular attention to the Fairfax Circuit Court. The online center highlights how cases decided in Fairfax County have helped shape civil rights in the county and across Virginia.

The project was inspired by exhibits at the Supreme Court of Virginia. A committee formed in 2024 to develop content that would complement the Fairfax Bar Association’s long-running Court Tour program for middle school students.

Supporting Student Civics Education

The Court Tour program, established in 1976, includes a mock trial, meetings with attorneys and judges, and the chance to observe an actual trial.

The Judicial Learning Center is intended to reinforce and introduce key civics concepts, depending on when students use the material in relation to classroom instruction. It also explores two significant civil rights cases that took place in Fairfax County.

A committee of judges, public servants, lawyers and professionals from the Fairfax County Circuit Court, Fairfax Bar Association, Fairfax County Public Schools, George Mason University and the Center for Mason Legacies worked together on the project. Over the past two years, the committee collaborated with an exhibit design firm and refined the content through surveys and feedback.

Future Courthouse Exhibits Planned

“The Judicial Learning Center of Fairfax County is the first JLC at any state trial court in the entire country," Clerk of Court Chris Falcon said. "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."

The website is the first phase of the project. Future plans call for in-person exhibits at the Fairfax Courthouse that will be open to students and the general public.

The Judicial Learning Center can be viewed online at the Center for Mason Legacies website.