Lawyers are an essential part of society, even if the rest of us make fun of them a fair bit. The law is a complicated and messy thing, one which takes years to fully master. While you can’t truly begin studying it until law school, you can still begin seeing if the legal field is right for you in high school.
The best time to do this is in the summer, when you have the time and freedom needed to truly pursue your options in the field. In this article, we’re going to review some summer programs which allow you to gain experience with law while still in high school, and see what they require. Let’s get started!
College Summer Classes
A lot of colleges have a selection of courses that high school students are able to take during the summer. These often change every year, but many colleges offer things which are adjacent to the legal profession. These can be introductions to different fields within law, as well as an introduction to life at college.
The pros of these programs are that you get to learn about a subject in depth, while also sampling the college experience. Many of these are residential programs, where you live in dorms and attend classes on campus for a few weeks in the summer. Many of these programs also offer college credit.
As a con, these programs are often quite expensive, and the credits you earn from them are often nontransferrable. While they are a good theoretical introduction to the legal field, they generally lack the practical experience you would find in other opportunities.
Overall, these programs may be a good idea if you are still trying to determine whether or not law is something you want to pursue, or want a chance to try out the college experience. For students who are certain, there are better options out there.
Mock Trial
This is not strictly a summer program, but an extracurricular you can participate in throughout the school year as well. Mock trial is, as the name suggests, a program which allows students to simulate criminal trials. This is a competition, with teams taking the role of either prosecution or defense, and getting graded on how well they use and understand the rules of evidence.
There are various camps during the summer which allow you to participate in and pursue mock trial. You may already be involved with a team through your school; these programs are generally supplemental to that, bringing together strangers to learn moe about the process, or introduce them to it entirely.
As a competition available year round, mock trial is a great way for students who are interested in law to stand out, especially if they are quite successful at it. Winning major academic competitions, of which mock trial is one, stands out quite well on college admissions.
This can be a major time sink, but may be worth it if you want to devote the time. If you don’t, then there are more useful ways to spend your summers.
Harris County’s Summer Legal Academy
Run by the Office of the Harris County Attorney, this is a two-week day program for high school students interested in the legal system. Students attend seminars and take part in classes on the legal process. This is a paid opportunity; students receive a stipend of $15.00 per hour to attend.
You must be a resident of Harris County about to enter grade 10-12. While all students are eligible to apply, the program prioritizes students from low income backgrounds, first generation college students, or those from underrepresented backgrounds.
Students will learn about law itself, the law school application process, and what law school is like. The goal of the program is to show interested students whether or not a legal career is right for them.
Applications have a priority deadline of March 1; all applications are due by March 22. The application requires one letter of recommendation, a writing sample in the form of a graded paper, a personal statement, and a 250 word essay response. The prompt for this response is:
- In 250 words or more, tell us why you are interested in pursuing a career in the legal field and what you hope to learn during the SLA. Please include your experience knowing an attorney(s), if any.
This is a great opportunity for students who live in Harris County who are interested in law. While transportation is not included, the stipend can defray the costs of transport to and from the program. This is a very competitive program; they are looking for students who are passionate and curious, with a clear interest in law, and in pursuing it further in the future.
While not all students are eligible, this is the kind of thing you should look for in your own local law offices. While not all of them will have programs this well developed, many will have internship opportunities for high school students. These will give you your best insight into the world of law, and what life as a lawyer is like.
SFA High School Pre-Law Academy (Texas)
Stephen F Austin University offers a week-long in person residential summer program for students interested in legal studies. While there, students take classes with professors, talk with lawyers and judges from throughout Texas, and participate in a mock trial scenario.
You will stay on campus during this week; housing and meals are included in the price of the program. The program costs $800, and is open to high school students currently in their sophomore, junior, or senior year. In order to apply, you need to submit two letters of recommendation from teachers or guidance counselors, and a 250 word essay response explaining why you want to participate in the program.
Applications open on January 8, and places are decided on a rolling basis; the earlier you apply, the better your chances. Applications close on June 1. They are looking for students who are academically talented, and who have a strong interest in the legal field. You do not need previous experience, but should be able to clearly articulate why you want to attend this particular program.
This program is a great choice if you are interested in law, and want to sample all that it can offer. Between the academic and social aspects, this program is a great introduction to the legal field, and the academic basis for it.
Legal Internships
Internships are often far less standardized than the other programs we have mentioned in this article. We have a separate article on finding internships generally, but want to spend some time here discussing how law internships differ.
First, most proper legal internships go to students in law schools. These are a key part of your time in law school, and help you build industry connections. High school internships are far less formal, and more often found at small practices or local government offices.
We recommend using your network to find internship opportunities in law. If your parents or their friends are lawyers, then you may be in luck. Otherwise, contacting law offices near you to ask about opportunities is a reasonable approach. Make sure you know which area of law they specialize in; you should tailor your approach to their specific practice, and understand what you are getting into. Criminal law and IP law, for example, are incredibly different fields.
This can be a very good way to spend a summer, as these internships can give you a very deep look into one particular aspect of the legal field. Note that they are less likely to give you a full overview of law as a whole, but still look impressive for college applications.
Final Thoughts
Law is a broad and varied field, one with many nooks and crannies to explore. While not all of it is accessible to high school students, there are opportunities for you to begin exploring early, to see if the study of law is right for you, and which field within it appeals to you.
We hope this article has given you some idea of how you can explore law during the summer, and what options are available to you. We’ve written before about summer programs for all kinds of interests, from medicine to engineering. If you want advice pursuing your own interests during the summer, or help applying to any of these programs, schedule a free consultation today. We have a long experience helping students find their passions, and are always happy to hear from you.
