Jerry Falwell Jr. was born on June 17, 1962, the eldest son of Jerry Sr. and Macel Falwell (née Pate).[2] He attended private schools in the Lynchburg area, attending Lynchburg Christian Academy (later renamed as Liberty Christian Academy) where he graduated in 1980, and attended Liberty University where he obtained a B.A. in religious studies in 1984.[2] Falwell then attended the University of Virginia School of Law, where he obtained Juris Doctor in 1987.[2]