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Law & Legal Summer Programs for High School Students (Part 2)

Updated: Jan 3

If you’ve already explored the major law & legal summer programs for high school students in Part 1, you might be wondering: what else is out there that’s actually legit and worth the effort?


This Part 2 focuses on additional, well-documented programs that:

  • Have a clear law / legal-education focus

  • Are run by reputable institutions (bar associations, law schools, major nonprofits, or top universities)

  • Publish transparent eligibility and program details

  • Offer genuine academic or experiential depth (not just law “themed” camps)


To keep things organized, programs are grouped into:

  1. Pipeline & internship programs (often free or with stipends)

  2. University pre-college & academic law courses

  3. International / global options


Law & Legal Summer Programs for High School Students

The URLs are provided so you can check for changes and updates to programs.


1. Pipeline & Internship Programs (Often Free / Stipend)


1.1 Future Latino Leaders Summer Law Camp (Hispanic National Bar Foundation)


Location: Washington, DC

Type: Week-long residential law camp for Latino high school students

The Future Latino Leaders Summer Law Camp is the signature pipeline program of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation (HNBF). It brings Latino high school students from across the U.S. to Washington, DC, for about a week of exposure to legal careers, law schools, and national institutions.


Who it’s for

  • Latino / Hispanic high school students from across the United States (historically rising 10th-12th graders; exact grade bands are listed each cycle).


What you do

  • Participate in classes and workshops on legal skills and issues

  • Prepare and present in a mock trial

  • Visit places like courts, law firms, and federal institutions in DC

  • Meet Latino attorneys, judges, and law students as mentors


Cost

  • The camp is a charitable educational program; HNBF describes it as its signature outreach initiative rather than a commercial camp. Historically there has been no traditional “tuition,” and HNBF raises support to deliver the program. Families may still be responsible for some travel costs; always check the current year’s FAQ.


Official URLs

1.2 Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program - High School Division (NYC)


Location: New York City (federal and state courts)

Type: Selective judicial internship with structured educational components

The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program (SCSJIP) places high school, college, and law students from underserved communities in judicial internships in state and federal courts around NYC. The High School Division is specifically for rising seniors.


Who it’s for

  • Current high school juniors (rising seniors) at the time of application

  • Must live and attend school in one of the five NYC boroughs

  • Focus on students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in law


What you do

  • Intern directly in a state or federal judge’s chambers in NYC during the summer

  • Attend an orientation and supplementary programming on professional skills and college preparation

  • Receive mentorship from judges, clerks, and law students


Cost

  • There is no tuition; this is a competitive internship placement program run by a nonprofit. (Details about stipends, if any, are listed each year.)


Official URLs


1.3 Expanding Horizons Internship (Constitutional Rights Foundation / Teach Democracy - Los Angeles)


Location: Los Angeles County, CA

Type: School-year seminars + paid summer internship

The Expanding Horizons Internship (EHI), run by Teach Democracy (formerly Constitutional Rights Foundation), combines spring Saturday seminars in law/civics/college prep with a paid summer internship at a law firm, corporation, government agency, or nonprofit.


Who it’s for

  • First-generation, college-bound high school juniors and seniors

  • Must attend Title I high schools in Los Angeles County and meet program’s academic and income criteria


What you do

  • Spring: interactive Saturday sessions on legal rights, civic engagement, professional skills, and college readiness

  • Summer: 5-6 week paid internship in a professional setting (often law-related)


Cost

  • Free to participants; internships are paid (stipend/earnings details updated each year).


Official URL


1.4 High School Law Institute (HSLI - Columbia Law School & NYU School of Law)


Location: New York City (Columbia Law & NYU School of Law campuses)

Type: Free, academic-year Saturday law program

The High School Law Institute (HSLI) is a joint, student-run program at Columbia Law School and NYU School of Law. It offers free Saturday classes in constitutional law, criminal law, moot court, and related subjects to NYC high school students.


Who it’s for

  • Talented and motivated high school students throughout New York City, with a focus on those attending under-resourced schools.


What you do

  • Attend weekly Saturday sessions (typically 10am-1pm) over the academic year

  • Study Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and speech/debate in a structured curriculum

  • Often participate in moot court-style or mock-trial style exercises


Cost

  • Completely free for accepted students.


Official URLs


2. University Pre-College & Academic Law Programs

These are typically tuition-based and often residential, but many have need-based scholarships. They can be a good fit for students who want genuine academic rigor and a taste of college-level law.


2.1 Penn Carey Law Pre-College Academy (University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School)


Location: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Type: 3-week pre-college academy at a top law school

The Penn Carey Law Pre-College Academy is a three-week summer program where high school students experience an accelerated introduction to first-year law school coursework, taught by Penn Carey Law faculty and practitioners.


Who it’s for

  • High school students (typically rising juniors and seniors) from the U.S. and internationally who are ready for intensive, college-level work


What you do

  • First part of the program: mini “1L” curriculum (core legal reasoning, key doctrinal areas)

  • Second part: explore special topics like corporate law, environmental law, human rights, tech/privacy, etc.


Cost & aid

  • Tuition is in the high four-figure range for residential students; commuter option is somewhat lower.

  • Penn Carey Law notes that need-based scholarships are available, including specific support for some U.S. school districts (details change by year).


Official URLs



2.2 Harvard Pre-College Program - Legal Studies Courses


Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Type: 2-week residential pre-college program with a Legal Studies subject area

Harvard’s Pre-College Program is a two-week on-campus experience where high school students enroll in one intensive, non-credit course. Among the 100+ offerings, Harvard frequently lists courses under a “Legal Studies” or law-related heading (e.g., American law, constitutional law, civil rights).


Who it’s for

  • High school students, typically rising 10th-12th graders, ages ~16-18, from around the world


What you do

  • Take one college-level seminar in a law-related field (course titles vary by year)

  • Live in Harvard dorms, attend co-curricular events, and experience an Ivy League academic environment without letter grades.


Cost & aid

  • Harvard Summer School lists tuition and residential fees in the several-thousand-dollar range for the 2-week session.

  • Financial aid is available on a need basis (details on the official site).


Official URL


2.3 UC Berkeley - Legal Studies Pre-College Courses (LS 10 & LS 12)


Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

Type: Credit-bearing college courses for pre-college students

Through Berkeley’s pre-college offerings, high school students can enroll in regular Legal Studies courses such as LEGALST 10 (Introduction to Law) and LEGALST 12 (Civil Rights & Civil Liberties) during the summer.


Who it’s for

  • High school students who meet Pre-College Scholars criteria (usually rising juniors/seniors, age 16+, with a strong academic record).


What you do

  • Take college-level Legal Studies courses alongside undergraduates, earning UC Berkeley credit

  • Dive into topics like civil rights, equality, fundamental rights, and legal institutions


Cost & aid

  • Standard UC Berkeley summer tuition and pre-college program fees, with some scholarship possibilities through the Pre-College Scholars program.


Official URLs


2.4 Wake Forest University - Summer Immersion Program: Law Institute


Location: Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC (with some years also in Charlotte)

Type: 1-week law immersion program

The Wake Forest Summer Immersion Law Institute is a week-long on-campus program where students explore different legal practice areas and career paths through simulations, workshops, and site visits.


Who it’s for

  • High school students (Wake Forest advertises its Summer Immersion on-campus institutes broadly to high schoolers; external descriptions specify rising 10th-12th graders).


What you do

  • Argue for a client in a criminal litigation simulation, negotiate contracts, and explore different law practice areas

  • Learn about ethical duties like confidentiality and conflicts of interest

  • Visit courts or firms, and experience life on a college campus


Cost & aid

  • Tuition is mid-to-upper range for 1-week residential pre-college programs; Wake Forest notes that need-based scholarships exist for some participants.


Official URLs


3. International / Global Law & Policy Opportunities


3.1 Yale Young Global Scholars - Politics, Law & Economics (PLE)


Location: Yale University, New Haven, CT

Type: 2-week residential academic program (global, highly selective)

Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) is a two-week interdisciplinary program for high school students from 150+ countries. The Politics, Law & Economics (PLE) track is explicitly centered on governance, legal frameworks, and economic systems.


Who it’s for

  • High school students (typically 16-18 years old) who have not yet started university, from the U.S. and around the world


What you do

  • Study topics like public policy, human rights, market regulation, governance structures, and international law & policy in lectures and seminars

  • Work in small discussion groups and project teams to analyze real-world legal and political issues


Cost & aid

  • YYGS tuition is in the several-thousand-dollar range for two weeks, but Yale emphasizes substantial need-based financial aid, including full and partial tuition awards.


Official URLs


Law & Legal Summer Programs for High School Students : How to decide what belongs on your shortlist


When you zoom out across Part 1 + Part 2, there’s now a wide, verified ecosystem of law-focused options:

  • Free / stipend-based pipeline & internship programs (HNBF, Sotomayor JIP, EHI, HSLI, plus those in Part 1 like JTB, Legal Outreach, LSBA Suit Up, Thurgood Marshall)

  • Premium but rigorous pre-college academies (Penn Carey, Harvard, Berkeley, Wake Forest, Columbia, Emory, Notre Dame, NSLC, NYLF, etc.)

  • Global academic options (YYGS PLE, NLSIU FLE, Oxford-based programs in Part 1)

The right mix depends on:

  • Student’s grade and location

  • Budget and financial-aid needs

  • Whether they want academic rigor, real-world work, or advocacy/policy focus

  • How these experiences fit into a 4-year high school roadmap


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