8 Law Internships for High School Students
8 Law Internships for High School Students
Jan 6, 2026
Author: George Gatsios
Law internships for high school students are a great way to build your skills early on and explore the legal field. You get the chance to engage with industry experts, understand what the day-to-day work as a lawyer looks like, and strengthen your college applications. Securing a law internship in high school can be challenging, but it is achievable with interest, dedication, and curiosity about the field.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 8 law internships for high school students!
Delta Institute’s Delve Work-Experience program is designed for high school students looking to gain real-world experience across different fields, including law. If you’re looking for a law internship while in high school, Delve offers you the opportunity to intern with Dentons for 4 weeks. Through the internship, you gain an introduction to case-based advocacy, mooting skills, contract law, legal research, and communication.
As an intern, you receive direct mentorship from company managers and structured training. At the end of the program, students receive a certificate and letter of recommendation from the company – a valuable addition to any college application.
Cost: $4,900
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: January 23
Program Dates: January 31 - March 8
Eligibility: Open to high school students globally
Summer Law Institute (SLI) is a 5-week summer law internship for high school students. As an intern, you will study criminal justice topics taught by law students, learn the skills required to perform as attorneys through mock-trials, interact with lawyers, and visit legal institutions. This is a great opportunity to gain real-world insights into the legal profession. At the end of the program, students will participate in a mock-trial competition presided over by real judges.
Cost: No cost
Location: One of seven law schools -
Brooklyn Law School
Cardozo School of Law
Columbia Law School
CUNY School of Law
Fordham School of Law
NYU School of Law
St. John’s School of Law
Application Deadline: Not specified
Program Dates: July – August
Eligibility: Rising 9th graders
ACLU runs an internship program for high school students interested in gaining hands-on experience in law and advocacy. You will engage directly with ACLU lawyers, lobbyists, community activists and other experts working to defend civil rights and liberties. As part of the program, you will engage in classroom sessions, lectures, site visits, policy discussions, and legal strategy.
This program is an opportunity for you to boost your political knowledge, campaign abilities, learn about mobilization and growing a team, and identify strategies for engaging with policymakers and maximizing impact for issues you’re passionate about.
Cost: $2,700
Location: American University, Washington, D.C.
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Program Dates: Year round
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18
The Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program is a rigorous, competitive 6-week internship program for high school students interested in pursuing a legal career. Each year, the program admits 35 students and gives them a glimpse into the legal profession. The internship focuses on four key areas: providing a meaningful work experience, enhancing students’ knowledge of the law, fostering mentor relations, and promoting diversity in the legal profession.
It is important to note that as part of the internship, you will be required to attend Weekly All Intern Meetings (AIMs) that include regular tests to assess your understanding of the material covered. Insufficient preparation for the meetings and tests may lead to dismissal from the program.
Cost: No cost; stipend of $2000
Location: Atlanta, GA
Application Deadline: March 19
Program Dates: May 27 - July 17
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors studying in Atlanta high schools can apply
The New York City Bar’s TMSLIP pairs high school students with legal employers during the summer. Over the course of 6-8 weeks, students are placed with law firms, corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. As an intern, you will understand the day-to-day work of legal professionals, gain practical training, engage in panel discussions, and networking events to help you prepare for a career in law.
This internship is a great opportunity for students interested in gaining real-world legal experience, and working with local organizations that can offer on-the-job training and development programs.
Cost: No Cost
Location: New York City
Application Deadline: March 4
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: NYC public high school students who are 16 years or older by the start of the internship
The Law Links Internship is an initiative by Maryland Youth & The Law that places high school students in law firms and law-related agencies. Over 7-weeks in the summer, students in Baltimore will engage in different 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 give high school students a glimpse into the legal profession through real-world experience, educational seminars, and participation in the Law & Leadership institute.
Cost: No cost; stipend of $15/hour
Location: Baltimore, MA
Application Deadline: To be announced
Program Dates: To be announced
Eligibility: Baltimore City public high school sophomores or juniors
The summer Law Internship Program is a joint initiative between the Dallas Bar Association and the Dallas Independent School District. The internship is up to 8-weeks long and places students with law firms and corporate legal departments in the Dallas-area. If selected, you will receive a learning curriculum to help you understand the expectations as an intern from the employer. As an intern, you will have the chance to participate in an orientation, educational activities organized by the DBA, and an end-of-program reception.
Cost: No cost indicated
Location: Dallas, TX
Application Deadline: March 26 (applications open in the first week of February)
Program Dates: 3 sessions between June and July
Eligibility: High school juniors in Independent School Districts in Dallas
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (USAO-EDNY) offers internship opportunities for high school students. Through these internships, students get the chance to understand how the federal legal system works and gain real-world work experience. This is a great opportunity for students interested in pre-law, criminal justice, accounting, or community crime prevention.
As an intern, you can work in different departments such as Automated Litigation Support, Legal Library, Paralegal or Legal Studies, and Victim and Witness Unit. You’ll help with legal research, file organization, case preparation, and other office tasks while also watching court proceedings with attorneys to help you get an idea of how legal cases are handled in the federal system.
Cost: No cost
Location: New York
Application Deadline: Not announced
Program Dates: Not announced
Eligibility: Must be rising seniors enrolled in or accepted into an accredited high school who are U.S. citizens and have completed a security application for clearance
Author: George Gatsios
Law internships for high school students are a great way to build your skills early on and explore the legal field. You get the chance to engage with industry experts, understand what the day-to-day work as a lawyer looks like, and strengthen your college applications. Securing a law internship in high school can be challenging, but it is achievable with interest, dedication, and curiosity about the field.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 8 law internships for high school students!
Delta Institute’s Delve Work-Experience program is designed for high school students looking to gain real-world experience across different fields, including law. If you’re looking for a law internship while in high school, Delve offers you the opportunity to intern with Dentons for 4 weeks. Through the internship, you gain an introduction to case-based advocacy, mooting skills, contract law, legal research, and communication.
As an intern, you receive direct mentorship from company managers and structured training. At the end of the program, students receive a certificate and letter of recommendation from the company – a valuable addition to any college application.
Cost: $4,900
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: January 23
Program Dates: January 31 - March 8
Eligibility: Open to high school students globally
Summer Law Institute (SLI) is a 5-week summer law internship for high school students. As an intern, you will study criminal justice topics taught by law students, learn the skills required to perform as attorneys through mock-trials, interact with lawyers, and visit legal institutions. This is a great opportunity to gain real-world insights into the legal profession. At the end of the program, students will participate in a mock-trial competition presided over by real judges.
Cost: No cost
Location: One of seven law schools -
Brooklyn Law School
Cardozo School of Law
Columbia Law School
CUNY School of Law
Fordham School of Law
NYU School of Law
St. John’s School of Law
Application Deadline: Not specified
Program Dates: July – August
Eligibility: Rising 9th graders
ACLU runs an internship program for high school students interested in gaining hands-on experience in law and advocacy. You will engage directly with ACLU lawyers, lobbyists, community activists and other experts working to defend civil rights and liberties. As part of the program, you will engage in classroom sessions, lectures, site visits, policy discussions, and legal strategy.
This program is an opportunity for you to boost your political knowledge, campaign abilities, learn about mobilization and growing a team, and identify strategies for engaging with policymakers and maximizing impact for issues you’re passionate about.
Cost: $2,700
Location: American University, Washington, D.C.
Application Deadline: On a rolling basis
Program Dates: Year round
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18
The Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program is a rigorous, competitive 6-week internship program for high school students interested in pursuing a legal career. Each year, the program admits 35 students and gives them a glimpse into the legal profession. The internship focuses on four key areas: providing a meaningful work experience, enhancing students’ knowledge of the law, fostering mentor relations, and promoting diversity in the legal profession.
It is important to note that as part of the internship, you will be required to attend Weekly All Intern Meetings (AIMs) that include regular tests to assess your understanding of the material covered. Insufficient preparation for the meetings and tests may lead to dismissal from the program.
Cost: No cost; stipend of $2000
Location: Atlanta, GA
Application Deadline: March 19
Program Dates: May 27 - July 17
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors studying in Atlanta high schools can apply
The New York City Bar’s TMSLIP pairs high school students with legal employers during the summer. Over the course of 6-8 weeks, students are placed with law firms, corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. As an intern, you will understand the day-to-day work of legal professionals, gain practical training, engage in panel discussions, and networking events to help you prepare for a career in law.
This internship is a great opportunity for students interested in gaining real-world legal experience, and working with local organizations that can offer on-the-job training and development programs.
Cost: No Cost
Location: New York City
Application Deadline: March 4
Program Dates: June - August
Eligibility: NYC public high school students who are 16 years or older by the start of the internship
The Law Links Internship is an initiative by Maryland Youth & The Law that places high school students in law firms and law-related agencies. Over 7-weeks in the summer, students in Baltimore will engage in different 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 give high school students a glimpse into the legal profession through real-world experience, educational seminars, and participation in the Law & Leadership institute.
Cost: No cost; stipend of $15/hour
Location: Baltimore, MA
Application Deadline: To be announced
Program Dates: To be announced
Eligibility: Baltimore City public high school sophomores or juniors
The summer Law Internship Program is a joint initiative between the Dallas Bar Association and the Dallas Independent School District. The internship is up to 8-weeks long and places students with law firms and corporate legal departments in the Dallas-area. If selected, you will receive a learning curriculum to help you understand the expectations as an intern from the employer. As an intern, you will have the chance to participate in an orientation, educational activities organized by the DBA, and an end-of-program reception.
Cost: No cost indicated
Location: Dallas, TX
Application Deadline: March 26 (applications open in the first week of February)
Program Dates: 3 sessions between June and July
Eligibility: High school juniors in Independent School Districts in Dallas
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (USAO-EDNY) offers internship opportunities for high school students. Through these internships, students get the chance to understand how the federal legal system works and gain real-world work experience. This is a great opportunity for students interested in pre-law, criminal justice, accounting, or community crime prevention.
As an intern, you can work in different departments such as Automated Litigation Support, Legal Library, Paralegal or Legal Studies, and Victim and Witness Unit. You’ll help with legal research, file organization, case preparation, and other office tasks while also watching court proceedings with attorneys to help you get an idea of how legal cases are handled in the federal system.
Cost: No cost
Location: New York
Application Deadline: Not announced
Program Dates: Not announced
Eligibility: Must be rising seniors enrolled in or accepted into an accredited high school who are U.S. citizens and have completed a security application for clearance
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