12 Law Internships for High School Students
If you’re a high schooler who’s interested in law, then you’re in luck because learning and development in this field heavily relies on the internship system. Law school students usually intern very actively throughout college. Internships can help you build a strong technical skill-set, considering law can get very technical, and a solid professional network. They give you a valuable overview of what it is like to work as a lawyer or be in the legal services field generally.
Good news is that you can target some law-oriented internships even in high school. It’s not easy to find and land such internships, especially prestigious and competitive ones, so we’ve put together a list of some of the best law internships offered to high school students.
Internships are a definite plus to your resume, profile and college applications. College admissions officers look for students who actively pursue skill-building and independent opportunities outside of their school curriculum – this tells them the student is motivated and dedicated towards their field of choice. A legal internship can not only express this motivation and dedication, but also help you gain insight into the profession, and even open doors to a future career in law.
Location: Virtual! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students, who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. These internships are also open to undergraduates and gap year students! Application deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year.
Program dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year.
Cost: Starting at $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Ladder Internship is a selective program for high school students to work with nonprofits and startups across the world, including legal-tech start-ups. These organizations work in fields including media and journalism, technology, machine learning and A.I., finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form.
As part of this internship, students will work on a real-world project that’s of actual importance to the organization, and present their work at the end of their internship. Interns will work closely with their manager from the startup, and with a Ladder Coach too. The Ladder coach guides students through the internship and helps them navigate the startup environment. As a Ladder intern, you will engage in a coaching + work-based model. The program includes 1-on-1 and group training sessions for soft skills and professional development.
2. 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: May - August
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Interns will be paid $15-21 per hour
The New York City High School Law Internship Program aims to connect interested high school students in the city with legal employers. The employers include law firms, corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. The internship offers you practical training, panel discussions, and networking events to 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.
3. Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) by American Bar Association (ABA)
Location: Various cities across the country.
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program dates: 6 weeks typically in the summer.
Cost: $2000
The ABA's Judicial Intern Opportunity Program is an exceptional opportunity for high school students to intern with federal or state judges across the United States. This program aims to promote diversity and inclusivity in the legal profession by encouraging talented students from all backgrounds to explore careers in law. Participants get hands-on experience in a court environment, observe trials, and engage in legal research. As an intern, you'll have the unique privilege of working directly with judges and their chambers, experiencing the judicial system from the inside. You'll have the opportunity to engage in legal research, writing, and observe court proceedings, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of the legal process and invaluable practical skills.
The JIOP is best for those who are genuinely committed to pursuing a career in law, specifically those interested in working within the judicial branch of government.
4. California Innocence Project 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. Exact dates will vary.
Cost/Stipend: No cost, unpaid
This internship is ideal for students interested in criminal law or post-conviction law. The California Innocence Project is a law clinic that provides pro-bono service to wrongly convicted individuals. 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. As an intern, you would be expected to work 15-35 hours per week.
The CIP provides in-house training for their 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.
5. Atlanta Bar Association: Summer Law Internship Program
Location: Atlanta, GA
Application Deadline: February 9, 2024
Program Dates: May 29, 2024 - July 19, 2024
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors are eligible
Cost: No cost. Students will receive a stipend of $2000.
The Atlanta Bar Association offers a fairly rigorous summer internship for high school students. As an intern, you will have a range of duties and responsibilities, including copying, summarizing depositions, making deliveries, bates stamping documents, answering phones, and assembling trial notebooks. Each intern will have the chance to attend a deposition or court hearing.
Before the internship begins, you will be put through intensive, mandatory orientations. These sessions are meant to prepare you for what is expected of you, and also introduce you to what you can expect during the internship. The orientations will focus on issues such as confidentiality, professionalism, and more. You will also have weekly meetings, where you will be tested on your progress in the internship.
6. Internship at The United States Attorney’s Office (Eastern District of New York)
Location: Brooklyn and Central Islip, NYC
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Program Dates: The internship will be held in the summer. Exact dates are yet to be announced.
Eligibility: Rising seniors from accredited high schools are eligible
Cost/Stipend: No cost, unpaid
The United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York Student Internship offers several unpaid internships to students interested in law. Some of the specialized placements within the internships offered are Automated Litigation Support, Library Legal Information and Resource Center, and the Paralegal-Legal Studies. If you’re interested in studying pre-law, criminal justice, accounting, information technology, library management, human resources, or community crime prevention, then internships at the US Attorney’s Office are a really good opportunity. These internships can be a prestigious opportunity for high school students keen on a career in law.
7. San Francisco District Attorney's Office High School Internship
Location: San Francisco, CA
Application Deadline: Dates and deadlines vary.
Program Dates: Dates and deadlines vary, high school interns are only accepted in the summer session.
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible
Cost/Stipend: No cost, unpaid
The San Francisco District Attorney's Office High School Internship is an opportunity for high school students who are interested in criminal justice to valuable insight into the workings of the DA's office. As an intern, you will assist prosecutors in a variety of clerical tasks such as organizing and preparing case files for trials, contacting witnesses, and managing subpoenas and records surrounding both pre-trial hearings and jury trials (subject to attorney approval and supervision). Interns will report to a supervising attorney or paralegal for the duration of the internship. An ideal intern would be reliable and organized, and would be capable of maintaining a consisten schedule.
8. Jimerson Birr's School Internships (Business Law)
Location: Jimerson Birr office, Jacksonville, FL.
Eligibility: High school students who can work at the Jimerson Birr office in Florida.
Application deadline: Applications typically close in the spring.
Program dates: 4-6 weeks in the summer.
Cost/Stipend: None.
Jimerson Birr is a Florida-based law firm ranked as one of the Best Law Firms in America according to US News & World Report. Their 4-6 week internship program gives students a glimpse into business law. As an intern, you will get to choose one of the firm’s departments to work in – accounting, legal services, communications and more, alongside industry experts. As an intern, you will learn to think like a lawyer: strategically, proactively, and with a keen eye for detail. You will get solid exposure working with the department heads, and hone your professional skills. Throughout the internship, you’ll be working directly with the firm’s staff and attorneys, attending biweekly team meetings, and actually contributing to active cases and research.
9. Law Links Internship - Maryland Youth & the Law
Location: Baltimore, MA
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors attending a Baltimore City Public High School are eligible
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: 7 weeks in the summer. Exact dates are yet to be announced.
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Students will be paid $15 per hour
The Law Links internship is an initiative managed by Maryland Youth and the Law, a nonprofit organization. The program is open to rising high school juniors and seniors who are enrolled in Baltimore public high schools full-time. For the program, interns will be placed in law firms and law-related agencies in Baltimore. During ther internship, you will engage in a number of activities, discussions with legal professionals from law firms, city agencies, and the courts, and field trips to Citi Watch and the Baltimore FBI Bureau.
This internship is designed to effectively prepare young people to work in a professional setting. Interns will also 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.
10. Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP) at the Dallas Bar Association
Location: Dallas, TX
Application Deadline: March 29, 2024
Program Dates: The internship takes place over 4 weeks (full-time) or 8 weeks (part time) in June and July.
Eligibility: High school juniors in Independent School Districts in Dallas are eligible
Cost/Stipend: No cost, students will receive a stipend of $1000-2000.
The Summer Law Intern Program is a joint initiative between the Dallas Bar Association and the Dallas Independent School District. Once selected, students will be placed with a law firm, a non-profit organization, or in the legal department of a corporate law firm, to work with them for 4-8 weeks. As an intern, your work schedule will be decided by the employer you’re placed with – so you could work full-time (4 weeks) or part-time (8 weeks). Interns will also receive a Summer Learning curriculum that briefs them on what’s expected of them. It will also introduce them the norms in law firms, and all interns are expected to complete it in its entirety. Student interns will also participate in educational activities organized by the DBA, and an end-of-program reception. If you’re based in Dallas, this is a solid chance to gain some experience in the field of law.
The Memphis Bar Association in Tennessee also hosts a Summer Law Internship Program that students can consider.
11. Judicial Youth Corps Program
Location: Massachusetts (Boston/Worcester)
Application Deadline: Application details for 2024 will be announced in March-April.
Program Dates: May - August
Eligibility: Only high school students who are residents of Boston / Worcester are eligible for the respective programs.
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Students will be paid an hourly rate.
The Judicial Youth Corps Program is an intensive educational internship offered by the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts. It focuses on educating student interns and exposing them to the Massachusetts court system and the rule of law. Interns will have to attend two sessions – an education training session where they will be mentored and taught by volunteer judges, lawyers, and court employees. This session, held May-June, covers a wide range of topics including juvenile law, criminal procedure, family law, landlord-tenant disputes, the jury system, and the appellate process. The second session, held July-August, is where students will be placed as paid interns at a local courthouse. This part of the program also includes educational sessions on Fridays. During the internship, students will engage in mock trials, field trips, shadowing, group discussions and more.
12. Internship Program at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office
Location: Manhattan
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who live in or attend school in Manhattan are eligible
Application Deadline: March 8, 2024
Program Dates: July 8, 2024 - August 9, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Students will be paid per the minimum wage.
Interns at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office get the opportunity to explore the criminal justice system from the inside. Interns are expected to work 35 hours a week. You will engage in various workshops and discussions surrounding criminal justice, police brutality, civic engagement, and leadership. You will also get to participate in a mock trial program, develop your professional skills in an office setting, and more. Interns will have to take part in a series of presentations and conversations with DA’s office staff to build a foundational understanding of how policies are developed and implemented.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office offers a similar internship which students can consider!
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, with a large number of them in tech. 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.