12 Criminal Justice Internships for High School Students
If you're a high schooler who’s interested in the world of criminal law, you might want to consider a criminal justice internship. From law enforcement officers and detectives investigating crimes to prosecutors and defense attorneys navigating the legal system, criminal justice encompasses a broad spectrum of professions dedicated to upholding law and order within society. A criminal justice internship will offer you hands-on experience in various fields, including crime prevention, forensic analysis, victim advocacy, corrections, and rehabilitation.
Internships provide invaluable practical experience and allow you to apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. These internships will help you gain firsthand insight into law enforcement, legal advocacy, or forensic science. Demonstrating initiative and passion through internships in high school will set you apart on college applications, showcasing your dedication to understanding the complexities of the legal system. Internships can also act as a launchpad for future career prospects and establish the groundwork for a thriving career in this industry.
Here’s our list of 12 criminal justice internships for high school students!
Location: Available in all states of the USA.
Eligibility: High school rising juniors and seniors between the ages of 15 and 18 are eligible.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary from state to state. Typically, applications are not accepted after May 2024.
Program Dates: Spring 2024 (exact dates vary from state to state)
Cost/Stipend: None
The FBI Teen Academy program is designed to provide high school students with an inside look at the FBI's operations, including its investigative techniques and the various career paths within and beyond the organization. During the program, you’ll actively engage in hands-on activities, discussions with FBI personnel, and presentations on topics such as cybercrime, counterterrorism, and forensic science. You will also engage in group activities ranging from small group exercises to extended field trips.
While generally unknown outside of law enforcement insiders, the Teen Academy allows students to delve deeply into levels of law enforcement unavailable to them in a general classroom setting. If this piques your interest, you can download the Spring 2024 FBI Teen Academy application from your state’s FBI Field Office's Community Outreach web page, complete and obtain signatures on all forms, and complete an essay as directed in the application instructions.
2. Summer Law Institute (SLI) Program
Location: Multiple law schools, NYC
Eligibility: Rising ninth-grade students from Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island are eligible.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all the slots are full. Thirty students are accepted for each of the seven law school sites.
Program Dates: First week of July 2024 - First week of August 2024 (Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM)
Cost/Stipend: There is no cost to attend. Students will receive a monetary stipend upon successful completion of the program.
The Summer Law Institute (SLI) is a five-week summer law program for students who have just completed their eighth-grade school year. As a part of this program, you will be exposed to positive and successful role models, involve them in professional activities, and get practical experience through simulations and field trips. You will study criminal justice topics taught by law students, interact daily with lawyers, go on field trips to legal institutions, and participate in a mock trial competition. The knowledge and skills developed through this program will enhance your performance as you enter high school.
This program is hosted by seven law schools in New York City: Brooklyn Law School, Cardozo School of Law, Columbia Law School, CUNY School of Law, Fordham School of Law, NYU School of Law, and St. John’s School of Law. Once you complete the SLI, you will become eligible to apply to their 4-year College Bound program. This College Bound program, where students receive support, guidance, and training, is designed to help you get into the universities in the country. You can access the application here.
3. California Innocence Project (CIP) Internships
Location: San Diego, CA (California Western School of Law)
Eligibility: High school, college, law, and post-bar students are eligible
Application Deadline: Summer – March 1 | Fall – July 1 | Spring – November 1
Program Dates: The program conducts summer, spring, and fall sessions. Interns may set their schedules as long as the requirements are met.
Cost/Stipend: None
This internship is ideal for students interested in criminal law or post-conviction law. The California Innocence Project is a law clinic where you will work alongside experienced post-conviction attorneys to seek the release of wrongfully convicted prisoners in the state of California. Their mission is to free the wrongly convicted from prison, work to reform the criminal justice system, and train law students to become zealous advocates. This internship will give you an idea of the reality of the criminal justice system.
The California Innocence Project hires a legal intern for their office every trimester, giving them an insight into the field while they work on the clinic’s projects. You would be expected to work 15-35 hours per week as an intern. The CIP provides in-house training for its interns. If selected, you will be briefed and receive an introduction to wrongful convictions, along with the specific responsibilities and work you will have to do as a part of their greater mission. As a legal intern, you will be required to help with legal research, copying, filing, client support, and/or whatever else CIP specifies. You can access the application here.
4. Manhattan District Attorney’s High School Internship Program
Location: Manhattan, NY
Eligibility: Current sophomores, juniors, or seniors living in or attending school in Manhattan are eligible.
Application Deadline: March 8, 2024
Program Dates: July 8, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (Monday-Friday from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm).
Cost/Stipend: There is no cost to attend. Interns will receive a stipend based on the minimum wage.
This rigorous five-week internship will allow you to experience the inner workings of the criminal justice system as a part of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. As an intern, you will engage in workshops and discussions related to topics of criminal justice, police brutality, civic engagement, and leadership.
You will also have an opportunity to engage in a mock trial program, gaining practical experience in legal proceedings and courtroom dynamics. This hands-on experience will also help you develop professionalism in an office setting. The applicants must submit a one-page resume along with a 300-word essay discussing their interest in criminal justice when applying for the internship.
5. Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program (TMSLIP) by the New York City Bar
Location: New York City
Eligibility: NYC public high school students are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Program Dates: June 12 - August 14, 2024 (Mandatory attendance required on April 17, April 24 and May 1, 2024).
Cost/Stipend: There is no cost. Interns will be paid $15-21 per hour on a bi-weekly basis.
The Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program is an intensive program that aims to connect diverse NYC public high school students with legal employers for the summer. It also provides additional programming designed to help them prepare for a legal career. The employers include law firms, corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
As an intern, you will be part of practical training, panel discussions, and networking events that will help you prepare for a career in law. Internship duties may include assisting paralegals, filing paperwork, maintaining records, and organizing documents. In addition to the on-the-job experience, you will also receive exposure to the legal profession through development programs offered by your legal employers as part of the internship program. For more details about the 2024 internship program, you can check here.
Location: Horsham, PA
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be currently enrolled in high school.
- Be sixteen years of age or older by June 24th, 2024 (no exceptions – this is required for insurance compliance).
- Have completed or be enrolled in algebra and either biology or chemistry with passing grades.
Application Deadline: April 5, 2024
Program Dates: June 24, 2024 - August 9, 2024 (The program starts each day at 9 am and runs until 4 pm, Monday-Friday).
Cost/Stipend: None
Although this is not a traditional internship, at the Forensic Sciences Mentoring Institute (FMI), a program of the Fredric Rieders Family Foundation, high school students spend seven weeks investigating and solving a crime using actual forensic techniques and instrumentation.
During the FMI Summer Science Program, you will get an opportunity to learn through interactive, hands-on experiences using state-of-the-art techniques in three different forensic science disciplines - Forensic Biology, Forensic Chemistry, and Forensic Toxicology. After examining evidence and analyzing the data, you will get to serve as an expert witness and present your case in front of a judge in a trial setting. You will also receive assistance in preparing for college.
7. Judicial Youth Corps (JYC) Program: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Location: Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, MA
Eligibility: Applicants must attend a high school in Boston, Worcester, or Springfield (depending on the location of the application). Students in grades 10, 11, and 12 are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: March 28, 2024
Program Dates: July 8, 2024 - August 16, 2024 (six weeks)
Cost/Stipend: There is no cost to attend. Interns will receive a stipend of $15 per hour (25 hours per week).
The Judicial Youth Corps (JYC), sponsored by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, is a six-week educational summer internship that teaches students about the Massachusetts court system and the rule of law. The JYC is available in three locations in Massachusetts: Boston, Worcester, and Springfield. As an intern, you will work four days a week in one of the Suffolk County courts and spend one full day in law-related educational sessions. In this paid internship, you will be taught and mentored by judges, lawyers, clerks, probation officers, and other court personnel who volunteer their time in educational sessions or as work supervisors. Students also can opt to participate in a mock trial in federal court in August.
For further details about the internship and the application links for the various locations, check here.
8. Johnson County Sheriff’s Office - Crime Lab Internships
Location: Olathe, KS
Eligibility: Open to all high school students. The selected candidates must agree to a background investigation, a drug screen, and a polygraph exam.
Application Deadline: July 1, 2024 (Fall Session) | November 1, 2024 (Spring Session) | March 1, 2024 (Summer Session)
Program Dates: Multiple sessions are available in 2024. October - December (Fall Session) | February - April (Spring Session) | June - August (Summer Session)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Unpaid.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office - Criminalistics Laboratory provides unpaid internship opportunities to high school, college, or postgraduate students seeking skills for a new career. The goal of the internship program is to provide mutual benefit for the intern and the lab through original experiments, secondary research projects, and general laboratory tasks.
During the internship, you’ll get hands-on experience in crime scene investigation, evidence submission & packaging, digital & multimedia evidence, firearms & tool marks, controlled substances, toxicology, biology/DNA testing, and latent prints. The weekly time commitment to the internship is flexible and will be set between the intern and their laboratory mentor. Internships at the laboratory are awarded per the needs of the lab and are based on the fall, summer, and spring cycles.
9. Denton County District Attorney’s Office: High School Intern Program
Location: Denton County, TX
Eligibility: Seniors in high school are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. 12 to 15 students are selected in each academic year.
Program Dates: The exact dates vary each year (2024 Dates TBA).
Cost/Stipend: There is no cost. The internship is unpaid.
During your internship at the Denton County District Attorney’s Office, you will be exposed to every facet of the criminal justice system, from intake to trial and appeals. You will go to the District Attorney’s office two times per week to be mentored by current Assistant District Attorneys and Investigators. The office divisions available for internships include Civil, Appellate and Investigation, Felony Trial, Family Violence, Intake/Grand Jury, and Misdemeanor Trial.
You will often watch jury trials, review offense reports, participate in mock trials and moot courts, and take a tour of the jail. This internship will allow you to learn practical aspects that cannot be taught in the classroom setting and will expose you to the realities in the field of law.
10. Maryland Youth and The Law (MYLAW) - Law Links Internship
Location: Baltimore, MD
Eligibility: Baltimore City public high school juniors and seniors are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: April 5, 2024
Program Dates: June 24, 2024 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: There is no cost. Interns are paid $15 per hour.
Law Links is a 7-week, paid summer internship that places Baltimore City public high school juniors and seniors in law firms and law-related agencies. During the internship, you’ll get to work full-time, Monday through Friday, and are paid $15/hour. In addition to the on-site internship, you will also have an opportunity to participate in the Law & Leadership Institute — a 50-hour educational seminar that begins with a 2-1/2 day orientation and resumes each Wednesday morning. The Institute is held at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.
The internship is much more than a summer job program: it is designed to effectively prepare high school students to work in a professional setting. MYLAW will help you develop leadership, life skills, understanding of the law and legal system, and preparation for college and career through unique, real-world learning opportunities that emphasize the importance of civic participation and responsibility. The internship offers a lot of interactive activities, discussions with legal professionals from law firms, city agencies, and the courts, and field trips to Citi Watch and the Baltimore FBI Bureau. You can access the application for the 2024 session here.
11. Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program (SLIP)
Location: Atlanta, GA
Eligibility: Current seniors (class of 2024) and juniors (class of 2025) studying in Atlanta high schools are eligible.
Application Deadline: March 21, 2024
Program Dates: May 29, 2024 - July 19, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students will be paid a stipend of $2,000 ($333 per week).
The Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program (SLIP) is a paid, rigorous six-week internship program for high school students interested in the legal profession. This prestigious internship has run over three decades and will conduct its 32nd program in 2024. In this competitive internship with only 35 spots, you will be expected to be all-in and fully committed to the internship. During the weekly All Intern Meetings (AIMs), there will be regular Progress Tests to assess your knowledge of what you are learning. Failure to be prepared for these AIMs and Progress Tests will subject you to being released from the Intern Program.
This program is designed to achieve four goals: to provide students with valuable work experience, to further their understanding of the law, to provide a mentor relationship for the students, and to increase diversity in the legal system. For further details about the internship program, you can check here.
12. National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Law & CSI
Location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Eligibility: Open to all high school students during the 2023-2024 academic year. High school students are required to have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
Application Deadline: Most students are nominated by educators or selected through the forum’s academic partnerships. However, they also accept students through their application process. You can find the application here.
Program Dates: Multiple sessions are available in 2024. June 16 - 23 | June 26 - July 3 | July 6 - 13 | July 16 - 23, 2024
Cost: $4,195. Scholarships, fundraising, and payment plans are available.
The National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Law & CSI is a prestigious eight-day immersive program for high school students. You will have the opportunity to gain real experience through hands-on evidence analysis and courtroom or forensic simulations. During the program, you can choose to participate in either a legal or CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) track, where you will cover the entire judicial process in-depth in a way that goes far beyond the classroom. From the discovery of a crime and collecting and analyzing all of the evidence to preparing for the courtroom process and taking part in the criminal trial, the simulation will give you a comprehensive insight into the workings of the field.
As a student focusing on the law track, you will get to visit a local courthouse to observe proceedings and perform a mock trial. You will also receive an introduction to the law school trajectory from law school professionals and discover the specialty career paths available in this field. As a student pursuing CSI, you will get to attend an interactive panel with university professors and forensic scientists, who will discuss the latest high-tech applications used during criminal investigations and discover the career paths that may shape your future.
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.