If law is something you’ve been thinking about studying, it helps to understand what the work actually looks like beyond movies or public speaking events. Lawyers spend a large part of their time researching, drafting documents, analysing cases, and preparing material before anything reaches a courtroom. Seeing that process firsthand while you are still in high school can give you a much clearer idea of whether the field suits you. That’s exactly where law summer jobs for high school students come in.

Imagine spending your summer working in a legal office where people are preparing for cases, discussing policy issues, or handling real client work. You may help with research tasks, organise documents, assist with scheduling, or support community outreach projects. Some students end up working with nonprofits focused on legal aid or human rights, while others gain exposure through smaller law firms or government offices. Even if you’re not directly handling legal work yourself, simply being around these environments changes your understanding of how the profession actually functions.

Why should you consider a law summer job in high school?

Summer jobs give you a very different kind of learning experience compared to programs or camps. Instead of classroom-style teaching, you start learning through observation, professional communication, deadlines, and real workplace routines.

Most law-related summer jobs for high school students are hosted by law firms, nonprofit organisations, advocacy groups, local government offices, or educational institutions. You may assist with research, administration, writing, outreach, or organisational tasks, depending on the role and level of experience required.

These experiences also help you build skills that matter far beyond law itself. You become more comfortable with professional communication, learn how to structure information clearly, and improve your ability to analyse problems carefully. Along the way, you also get a much clearer sense of whether legal studies genuinely interest you.

To help you explore your options, we’ve curated a list of 15 law summer jobs for high school students worth considering!

For more opportunities, consider the online law program and the law academic program.

15 Law Summer Jobs for High School Students

1. Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program (TMSLIP)

Location: New York City, NY
Stipend: $16-$22/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 35 students selected annually
Dates: 6-8 weeks, June through September
Application Deadline: January 13th
Eligibility: Current students at New York City public high schools who are at least 16 years old by June 1st

As one of the most established law summer jobs for high school students, the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program places NYC public high school students with legal employers across the city. Over six to eight weeks, you assist with administrative and legal support work while observing how attorneys, paralegals, and legal teams operate day to day.

Before placements begin, every student completes a multi-part pre-employment training focused on workplace expectations and professional preparation. The application process is also fairly rigorous, involving essays, interviews, transcripts, and recommendations. Throughout the summer, students continue attending structured career-development programming connected to the legal profession.

Why it stands out: TMSLIP is one of the country’s oldest and most respected high school legal internship pipelines, with real placements inside professional legal offices across New York City.

2. Immerse Education’s Law Summer School

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Location: London, Cambridge, Singapore, and Sydney
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; an average of 7 participants per class.
Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students worldwide aged 15-18

The Career Insights Program lets high school students explore careers in major global industry hubs. The Law Summer track is designed to give students direct exposure to real-world Law Summer workflows and professional environments. You will engage in project-based learning with established companies, attend interactive workshops, and visit offices, factories, and headquarters.

The program also includes weekly 1:1 career coaching sessions and personalized feedback on your resume and overall profile. You’ll present your findings to industry experts at the end of the program. You can find more details about the application here.

Why it stands out: You’ll gain direct industry exposure across international legal hubs, build a professional network on a global scale, and receive a certificate you can include in your college applications and work profile, all within a structured, in-person program that gives students a window into what university-level legal education and professional life actually look like.

3. Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office – High School Summer Internship

Location: Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Brooklyn, NY
Stipend: Nominal weekly stipend (historically around $150/week) plus a MetroCard for travel
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; limited number of spots for Brooklyn high schoolers
Dates: Five-week summer cycle (typically July-August; exact dates vary each year)
Application Deadline: Varies by year; deadlines generally fall in the spring
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and rising seniors who live in and/or attend high school in Brooklyn

For students interested in prosecution, public service, and criminal justice, this is one of the more courtroom-focused law summer jobs for high school students. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office runs a five-week Summer High School Internship where you’re assigned to a trial zone or specialized unit, such as Homicide, Special Victims, or Civil Rights. You may assist with investigations, attend trials, conduct and analyze basic legal research, and help prepare and organize case documents.

The summer cycle provides a paid weekly stipend and a MetroCard, and past FAQs specify that the program is open to Brooklyn sophomores, juniors, and rising seniors who can commit to a full five‑week, Monday–Friday schedule.

Why it stands out: You earn a weekly paycheck while working inside a big‑city DA’s office, with real exposure to criminal cases and specialized units across the Brooklyn justice system.

Location: Louisiana Bar Center, New Orleans, LA (with court and law-office visits around the city)
Stipend: Up to $250 upon successful completion of the three-week program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective pipeline program; limited cohort of Louisiana students
Dates: June 8th – June 26th (three consecutive weeks)
Application Deadline: May 4th
Eligibility: Students who will be in 11th or 12th grade in Fall or entering their first year of college in Fall; international students can apply

Suit Up for the Future is a three‑week summer legal institute and internship program run by the Louisiana State Bar Association and partners as a diversity pipeline into the profession. You experience law‑school‑style Socratic classes in subjects like criminal law and legal research and writing, complete a written legal memo and oral argument, and receive structured guidance on résumés, LSAT preparation, professionalism, and workplace etiquette.

A core part of the program is a job‑shadowing component, where you visit law offices, courts, and agencies to follow attorneys and judges through tours, hearings, and other real‑world activities.

Why it stands out: It blends a serious, law‑school‑style classroom with a paid, bar‑sponsored shadowing experience and is designed explicitly to diversify the legal pipeline in Louisiana.

5. D.Law Summer Internship Program – NextGen Academy

Location: D.Law (plaintiff-side employment law firm), Pasadena, CA
Stipend: $20/hour (paid, part-time)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; small cohort of local high school interns
Dates: July 6th – July 31st
Application Deadline: Applications open April 1st and close May 8th
Eligibility: Current 11th-12th grade students who can commute to Pasadena, CA

D.Law’s Summer Internship Program shows how practical and workplace-based law summer jobs for high school students can be, especially for those curious about employment law. This four-week, part-time, paid internship places you inside a plaintiff-side employment law firm. You work mornings in the firm’s Pasadena office, gaining hands-on exposure to how labor and employment cases are built while also participating in workshops and mentorship sessions led by attorneys and the program director.

Interns are paid 20 USD/hour and are expected to treat the experience as a real job, arriving on time, working on office projects, and contributing to a team focused on workers’ rights and accountability for employers.

Why it stands out: It’s a rare law‑firm internship explicitly designed (and paid) for high school juniors and seniors, with a clear focus on real workplace experience in employment law rather than purely classroom learning.

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Location: Various law firms and law-related agencies in Baltimore, MD; educational sessions at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
Stipend: $15/hour (paid, full-time)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited spots through Baltimore City schools
Dates: June 23rd – August 8th (7 weeks)
Application Deadline: Early April
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores or juniors attending a Baltimore City public high school and living in Baltimore City

Law Links places Baltimore public high school students in paid internships at law firms and legal agencies across the city for seven weeks. Alongside the internship itself, you will attend the Law & Leadership Institute at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where sessions focus on legal concepts, professional development, and career preparation.

Placements are matched to student interests, and interns work full-time during the summer. The program also provides professional clothing through partner organizations to remove financial barriers before students begin working.

Why it stands out: The program combines a paid legal internship with structured law-school seminars while also covering professional clothing costs for students.

7. Judicial Youth Corps (JYC) Program – Massachusetts

Location: Local courthouses in Boston, Springfield, and Worcester, Massachusetts
Stipend: Paid (approximately $15/hour)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited spots per city
Dates: July through August (approximately 6 weeks)
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March-April; rolling basis with early submission encouraged
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-12 who are residents of Boston (for the Boston program) or attend high school in Springfield or Worcester; must have a social security number to work in the court system

The Judicial Youth Corps Program is an intensive paid summer internship run by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court that places high school students directly inside Suffolk County courthouses for six weeks. You will work four days a week alongside judges, lawyers, clerks, probation officers, and other court personnel, gaining direct exposure to how the Massachusetts court system functions.

One day each week is dedicated to law-related educational sessions covering legal concepts, rights, procedures, and careers. Activities include mock trials, group discussions, field trips, and court observation. Students who complete the program may opt into a federal court mock trial in August.

Why it stands out: The JYC is a government-run program backed by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, offering students genuine court-based work experience, not a simulation with real mentorship from sitting judges and practicing attorneys over a full six weeks.

8. Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program (SLIP)

Location: Various law firms, government agencies, and corporations in metro Atlanta, GA
Stipend: $2,000 paid over 6 weeks
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 35 students selected annually; highly competitive
Dates: May 27th – July 17th
Application Deadline: March 19th; interviews held in April
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors in the Atlanta area; students must be fully available for the entire program duration

The Atlanta Bar Association’s Summer Law Internship Program has operated for over three decades, placing high school students in paid internships with Atlanta-area law firms, government agencies, and corporations. You will work full-time and engage in legal tasks, including assembling trial notebooks, summarizing depositions, observing courtroom proceedings, and interning directly under legal professionals.

Weekly All Intern Meetings (AIMs) include structured seminars and regular assessments of students’ legal knowledge, and participation in these is mandatory. The program is rigorous and requires complete commitment; no outside conflicts or schedule deviations are permitted during the internship period. SLIP also offers a long-term pipeline: alums who pursue law school can receive financial assistance toward LSAT preparation and bar review.

Why it stands out: SLIP is one of the oldest high school legal internship programs in the country, with over 980 internships provided across its first three decades. Its weekly seminars, full-time placements, and long-term alumni support, including LSAT and bar prep funding, make it a true career pipeline rather than a one-summer experience.

9. Dallas Bar Association Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP)

Location: Various law firms and corporate legal departments throughout Dallas, TX
Stipend: Varies by placement
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; placement-based
Dates: Session 1: June 9th – July 3rd; Session 2: July 7th – August 1st; Full Session: June 9th – August 1st
Application Deadline: Early April
Eligibility: Dallas ISD high school juniors with an academic average of 85 or above and no more than 10 absences during the school year

This Dallas-based program places students inside law firms and corporate legal departments for either four full-time weeks or eight part-time weeks, depending on employer needs. Before placements begin, you will complete a professional training curriculum focused on workplace expectations and legal-office culture.

Throughout the summer, the Dallas Bar Association also organizes educational events and networking activities connected to the legal profession. Since the internship is coordinated across the Dallas Independent School District, students from multiple schools participate through one shared system.

Why it stands out: It is one of the largest district-wide high school legal internship programs in the country, offering real placements across firms and legal departments throughout Dallas.

Location: Houston-area law firms, corporate legal departments, and public interest agencies, Houston, TX (orientation at South Texas College of Law Houston
Stipend: Varies by placement
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited spots for CIS-supported school students
Dates: Approximately June 10th – August 2nd (8 weeks; based on recurring program schedule)
Application Deadline: Contact your CIS campus coordinator; placement is coordinated through CIS of Houston
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors attending campuses supported by Communities In Schools of Houston

This Houston-based program places you inside law firms, corporate legal departments, and public agencies for an eight-week paid legal internship across the summer. Before placements begin, you attend an orientation at South Texas College of Law Houston, which introduces courtroom systems, legal workplaces, and professional expectations inside the field.

Most of your time is spent around practicing attorneys and legal staff, so the experience feels much closer to a real legal workplace than a classroom program. The internship also includes mentoring and enrichment sessions focused specifically on pathways into law school and legal careers.

Why it stands out: The program combines paid legal work, courthouse exposure, and law-school-connected mentoring inside one long-term summer internship built entirely around the legal profession.

11. Manhattan District Attorney’s High School Internship Program

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Location: Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, New York, NY
Stipend: Paid at least NYC minimum wage (recent postings list around 16.50-17.00 USD/hour)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; limited cohort of Manhattan juniors and seniors
Dates: Five weeks, June 29th – July 31st
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February-March
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors who reside in Manhattan and can attend all five weeks in person

The Manhattan District Attorney’s High School Internship Program is a five‑week, paid summer internship that gives you an inside look at one of the country’s most prominent prosecutor’s offices. Over the course of the program, you participate in workshops and discussions on criminal justice, police practices, and public safety, take part in a structured mock trial program, and develop professionalism in an office setting while working in one of the DA’s internal units.

Interns are paid at least New York City’s minimum wage and are expected to be on site full‑time during summer weekdays, so this experience feels much closer to a real entry‑level legal job than a classroom program.

Why it stands out: HSIP combines paid summer work, structured legal education, and direct exposure to prosecutors and staff inside a major district attorney’s office in the heart of Manhattan.

Location: Seven law schools across New York City, including Columbia Law School and NYU School of Law
Stipend: A stipend is provided upon completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; rising 9th graders from all five NYC boroughs are eligible
Dates: Five weeks, July-August
Application Deadline: Early spring
Eligibility: Students who have just completed 8th grade and are entering 9th grade; must be from Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, or Staten Island

SLI is a five-week legal studies program for rising ninth graders that takes place inside law schools across New York City, including Columbia and NYU. You study criminal justice, legal writing, courtroom argumentation, and public speaking through classes taught by law students and supported by practicing attorneys and judges. Throughout the summer, you also visit legal institutions and observe how courts and legal professionals operate in real settings.

If you complete the institute successfully, you can later apply to Legal Outreach’s long-term College Bound program, which continues supporting students interested in law throughout high school.

Why it stands out: The program introduces you to legal education unusually early by placing you inside major law schools before high school even begins.

13. Broward County Public Defender’s Youth Summer Justice Program

Location: Broward County Courthouse, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; limited spots
Dates: Approximately June 16th – June 27th (two weeks, Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-3:00 PM; check for current-year dates)
Application Deadline: May 1st (based on most recent cycle; check the Law Office of the Public Defender’s website)
Eligibility: Domestic high school students who have completed at least 9th grade; must be able to meet program schedule requirements and submit required forms

This two-week program places you inside the Broward County courthouse system, where you shadow public defenders and observe how criminal cases move through the courts. You attend hearings and trials, visit the crime lab and medical examiner’s office, and participate in discussions with judges, bailiffs, court reporters, and defense attorneys throughout the experience.

Instead of focusing on classroom instruction, the program is built around direct exposure to criminal defense work and courtroom procedure. Because the program is run directly by the Public Defender’s Office, the experience stays closely tied to real criminal law practice.

Why it stands out: You gain direct access to criminal courtrooms, attorney shadowing, and forensic facilities that are rarely included in high school law programs.

14. Nashville Bar Association High School Intern Program

Location: Law firms, corporate legal departments, and government law offices across Nashville, TN
Stipend: $10-$15/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; geared toward rising seniors from Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
Dates: Summer (exact dates vary annually)
Application Deadline: Check the Nashville Bar Association’s Diversity Committee for current-year deadlines
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors from the Metropolitan Nashville Public School system; open to diverse applicants with an interest in law

This internship places you inside law firms, government legal offices, and corporate legal departments across Nashville for paid summer legal work. Alongside your placement, you attend an eight-week “Lunch and Learn” series that includes courthouse tours, law school visits, career panels, and discussions with judges and practicing attorneys.

The structure combines day-to-day legal office experience with broader exposure to different pathways inside the legal profession. Since the program is organized through the Nashville Bar Association’s Diversity Committee, a large part of the experience is also focused on making legal careers more accessible to students who may not already have connections inside the field.

Why it stands out: The program combines a paid legal internship with long-term exposure to judges, courthouses, and law school environments throughout the summer.

15. Memphis Bar Association Summer Law Intern Program

Location: Private law firms, corporate law divisions, and governmental agencies in Shelby County, TN
Stipend: $500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; focused on minority and underrepresented students
Dates: June 2nd – June 27th (approximately 4 weeks)
Application Deadline: Late March (check the Memphis Bar Association’s website for exact dates)
Eligibility: High school students who are rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors; must reside in and attend a school in Shelby County, TN; students who have previously participated are not eligible

This program places you inside law firms, government agencies, and corporate legal departments across Shelby County for hands-on legal workplace experience during the summer. You work under the guidance of a mentor, usually a practicing attorney or prosecutor, who helps introduce you to how legal offices operate day to day.

The internship is designed specifically to encourage more students from underrepresented backgrounds to explore law, so the application process focuses more on demonstrated interest than strict academic cutoffs. Across the placement, you gain exposure to legal research, office procedures, and professional legal environments while working directly with attorneys and legal staff. Students also receive a stipend after completing the internship.

Why it stands out: The program focuses strongly on mentorship and access, making real legal internships available without requiring elite academic credentials or prior legal experience.

Discover Where Law Could Take You

A summer job can show you the legal profession from the inside, from courtroom routines and case preparation to client support and research.

The 15 law summer jobs for high school students in this article can help you see whether legal work matches your strengths, interests, and future ambitions.

The best experience is not just what you add to your CV, but what you learn about how lawyers think, communicate, and solve problems.

Ready to see where law could lead next? Browse our Career Exploration blogs to compare pathways, understand key skills, and make smarter decisions about your future.