If you’re a high school student interested in law, you’ve probably realised that the legal world involves far more than courtroom dramas and debate competitions. Law shapes everything from business and politics to civil rights, technology, healthcare, and criminal justice, but understanding how it works requires exposure to the profession itself. Law office internships for high school students can give you that firsthand perspective.

Imagine spending your summer assisting attorneys with research, organising case materials, observing client meetings, or learning how legal teams prepare arguments and manage cases behind the scenes. These experiences provide an early introduction to professional legal environments and help students better understand the day-to-day realities of working in law.

What are the benefits of a law office internship for high school students?

For high school students, internships can also be an opportunity to explore different areas within the legal field. Some positions expose students to corporate law, public policy, criminal justice, immigration law, or civil litigation, while others focus more broadly on legal research, communication, and office operations. Along the way, students develop valuable skills in writing, critical thinking, professionalism, organization, and analytical reasoning.

Of course, not all internships offer the same level of mentorship or meaningful engagement. Finding the right opportunity can make a significant difference in how much insight and experience you gain.

Across law firms, nonprofits, courts, advocacy organizations, and legal education programs, there are growing opportunities designed specifically for high school students interested in the legal profession. Whether you’re considering a future as a lawyer, policymaker, or public advocate, these internships can help you explore your interests while building practical workplace experience and professional confidence.

To help you find the best opportunities, we’ve compiled a list of 15 Law Office Internships for High School Students. They’ve been selected for their mentorship, legal exposure, and meaningful learning experiences.

For more opportunities, consider the online law program.

15 Law Office Internships for High School Students

1. Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program

Location: New York, NY (in person)
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly Selective; approximately 45-50 students are selected annually
Dates: Summer program typically runs from early June through mid-August
Application Deadline: Mid-January
Eligibility: High school students attending New York City public, charter, or participating schools; grade-level requirements vary by cycle; primarily for U.S.-based students; not open to international students

Among the more established law office internships for high school students, the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program places participants in law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and nonprofit legal offices across New York City. You gain direct workplace exposure by assisting with research, observing legal proceedings, supporting administrative tasks, and learning how legal teams operate day to day.

You also participate in professional development sessions focused on legal careers, communication skills, and workplace readiness. Many placements allow interns to interact with attorneys, paralegals, and judges, giving you a realistic understanding of different legal career paths. The program is especially valuable because it combines paid experience with structured mentorship in one of the world’s largest legal markets.

Why it stands out: It places high school students inside real law offices and legal institutions, combining paid work experience with mentorship and firsthand exposure to the legal profession.

2. Immerse Education’s Law Summer School

Location: Sydney, Singapore, Cambridge, London
Cost: Varies; summer school scholarship available through our bursary programme
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small cohorts of 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 aged 15-18; open to international students

The Career Insights Program lets high school students explore careers in major global industry hubs. The Law Office track is designed to give students direct exposure to real-world Law Office workflows and professional environments. You 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, build a professional network, and receive a certificate you can include in your college applications and work profile.

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

Location: Metropolitan Atlanta, GA (placements across law firms, corporations, and public agencies)
Stipend: $2,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 35 students per year
Dates: June 8th – July 17th
Application Deadline: March 19th
Eligibility: Current high school juniors and seniors in Georgia / metro Atlanta area; not open to international students

The Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program (SLIP) is a long-running paid internship that places high school students in real legal workplaces across Atlanta. You are matched with law firms, corporate legal departments, or public-interest offices where you assist with professional tasks and observe how legal teams operate. The program also includes mandatory orientations and enrichment sessions focused on legal careers, workplace expectations, and professional development.

Because placements are full-time and require complete commitment, students gain a realistic understanding of deadlines, accountability, and office culture. Many interns also build mentoring relationships with practicing attorneys and legal staff throughout the summer.

Why it stands out: It combines paid legal work experience with structured mentorship and one of the strongest high school law internship networks in the southeastern U.S.

4. Student Internship Opportunities – U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York

Location: Brooklyn, NY and Central Islip, NY (in person)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies based on office needs and available placements
Dates: Year-round (Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students must be enrolled in an accredited high school (typically entering seniors) and maintain a solid academic record; U.S. citizens or permanent residents; not open to international students

For students interested in federal prosecution and public service law, this opportunity stands out from the many law office internships for high school students because it places interns inside a major government legal office. Depending on placement needs and your educational level, interns may assist with legal research, document review, case preparation support, administrative projects, and observing court proceedings.

You work alongside attorneys, paralegals, and professional staff, which helps you understand how a federal legal office manages investigations and litigation. Students also gain insight into criminal justice, ethics, and the responsibilities of government lawyers. Because the office handles major federal matters, the internship can give you a realistic sense of high-level legal work and courtroom processes.

Why it stands out: It gives students firsthand exposure to a U.S. Attorney’s Office, where they can observe how federal cases are prepared and how public-interest legal work is carried out.

5. Richmond County District Attorney’s Office High School Internship

Location: Staten Island, NY
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 20-30 students
Dates: July 7th – August 6th
Application Deadline: June 6th
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in high school; residing in New York City with a preference for Staten Island residents; minimum age 16; not open to international students

In this program, you will spend your summer at the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office, diving into the daily operations of the Staten Island criminal justice system. Throughout the program, you cover topics like the trial process, public safety, and prosecutorial ethics. You’ll stay busy shadowing Assistant District Attorneys in court, participating in a mock trial, and touring facilities like the NYPD forensic lab.

A unique feature is the direct access you get to high-level law enforcement professionals for mentorship and career advice. By the end, you’ll have sharpened your skills in public speaking, legal research, and critical reasoning. This hands-on experience offers a realistic look at legal careers that classroom learning simply can’t match. 

Why it stands out: It replaces traditional classroom lectures with direct courtroom observation and behind-the-scenes tours of restricted law enforcement facilities.

6. Dallas Bar Association Summer Law Intern Program

Location: Dallas, TX (placements across law firms, corporations, courts, and public agencies in the Dallas area)
Stipend: Paid; amount varies by placement and annual cycle
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; typically 25-40 students
Dates: Session 1: June 8th – July 3rd; Session 2: July 6-31; Full Session: June 8th – July 31st
Application Deadline: April 1st
Eligibility: High school juniors enrolled in Dallas ISD; academic average of 85+; no more than 10 absences in the school year; not open to international students

The Dallas Bar Association Summer Law Intern Program places high school students in professional legal environments where they can observe and contribute to day-to-day legal work. Interns may be assigned to law firms, courts, corporate legal departments, or public service offices, gaining exposure to different sides of the legal profession.

You often assist with office projects, administrative support, research-based tasks, and observing hearings or client-facing operations where permitted. The program also helps participants understand workplace expectations, communication standards, and professional etiquette. Because students interact with practicing attorneys and legal staff, they gain realistic insight into legal careers before college.

Why it stands out: It combines paid legal placements with exposure to multiple career paths in law, giving students early experience inside real professional offices.

7. Law Links Internship – Maryland Youth & the Law

Location: Baltimore, MD
Stipend: $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 30-35 interns annually
Dates: 7 full-time weeks beginning in late June
Application Deadline: April 5th
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores or juniors who attend a Baltimore City public high school and live in Baltimore City; not open to international students

The Law Links Internship is a seven-week paid summer program that places Baltimore City public high school students in law firms and law-related agencies. You work full-time from Monday to Friday, which gives you direct experience with the routines and expectations of a professional legal workplace. Alongside the internship, you complete the Law & Leadership Institute, a 50-hour educational seminar that begins with a two-and-a-half-day orientation and continues on Wednesday mornings.

Through this structure, you learn about legal careers, workplace communication, professional conduct, and the broader legal system while gaining real job experience. The program also provides professional attire at no cost, helping remove financial barriers to participating in a formal office setting.

Why it stands out: It combines full-time paid legal work with a structured law and leadership seminar, giving you both workplace experience and guided legal career preparation.

8. Judicial Youth Corps Program

Location: Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, MA
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly Competitive; typically 6-10 students per city
Dates: Summer program typically runs between early July and mid-August
Application Deadline: April 10th
Eligibility: High school students (grades 10-12); attend school or reside in the program city (Boston, Worcester, or Springfield) and be in good academic standing; not open to international students

The Judicial Youth Corps Program places students inside Massachusetts courts and related judicial offices for paid summer work experience. You gain firsthand exposure to how the court system functions by assisting with administrative tasks, observing proceedings, and learning how judges, clerks, probation staff, and attorneys interact.

Many placements also include workshops on civic engagement, professionalism, and legal careers. Because you work within active courthouse environments, you develop a clearer understanding of justice systems, public service, and workplace expectations. The program is especially useful for students interested in law, government, criminal justice, or public administration.

Why it stands out: It places students directly inside real court systems, combining paid work experience with a practical understanding of how the judiciary operates.

9. California Innocence Project Internship – Building-U

Location: San Diego, CA (hybrid or in-person opportunities may vary by cycle)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies by session
Dates: Trimester-based (Spring, Summer, and Fall sessions)
Application Deadline: Summer: March 1st; Fall: July 1st; Spring: November 1st
Eligibility: High school students who meet Building-U application requirements; priority may be given to students from partner schools or communities; primarily U.S.-based applicants; not open to international students

The California Innocence Project Internship through Building-U gives students exposure to legal advocacy focused on wrongful convictions and criminal justice reform. You learn how legal teams review evidence, analyze case histories, organize records, and support efforts to investigate potential miscarriages of justice. Depending on placement structure, you may assist with research, administrative projects, outreach tasks, or observe how attorneys and staff collaborate on active matters.

The experience also introduces broader themes such as due process, ethics, appeals, and the social impact of legal representation. Because the internship is connected to innocence work, students gain a perspective on law that extends beyond traditional corporate or courtroom settings.

Why it stands out: It offers early exposure to mission-driven legal work, showing students how law can be used to challenge wrongful convictions and advance justice reform.

10. U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware – High School Fellowship Program

Location: J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building, Wilmington, DE
Stipend: $400 per week ($1,600 total for the four-week program)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; specific cohort size not publicly disclosed
Dates: July 6-31
Application Deadline: April 1st
Eligibility: Currently enrolled as a rising junior or senior in a New Castle County, Delaware high school; hold citizenship in the U.S. or permanent resident status; submit a completed application alongside an official school transcript and at least one letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor; not open to international students

In this fellowship, you’ll spend four weeks inside the federal courthouse gaining a rare, hands-on look at the daily operations of the U.S. District Court. You will explore topics like federal criminal procedure and civil litigation while observing live courtroom proceedings, including trials and sentencing. Throughout the program, you will work directly in the chambers of federal judges, assist court staff with administrative tasks, and meet with prominent leaders from Delaware’s legal community.

By the end, you will have sharpened your skills in legal observation, professional communication, and courtroom etiquette. This experience provides a professional foundation and high-level network that most students don’t access until they are well into law school.

Why it stands out: It offers you a paid, high-access seat inside federal judges’ chambers, providing a level of professional immersion that is usually reserved for graduate-level law clerks.

11. Boston Bar Association Summer Jobs Program

Location: Boston, MA (various law firms, corporate law departments, courts, and government agencies)
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; approximately 50-70 students
Dates: Seven-week period from early July through mid-August
Application Deadline: Early spring
Eligibility: Currently enrolled as a junior or senior in a Boston Public High School; reside in the city of Boston or participate in the METCO program; complete a pre-screening application process through the Boston Private Industry Council; attend a mandatory half-day orientation session prior to beginning work; not open to international students

In this internship, you will enter a professional legal environment where you dive into law office operations, professional ethics, and financial literacy. During your time, you assist with case files, observe courtroom proceedings, and participate in weekly enrichment seminars. You also get the chance to sit down with various judges and attorneys to discuss their career paths and daily responsibilities.

Through these tasks, you develop essential workplace skills like professional communication, administrative organization, and networking. This unique partnership with local firms ensures you are paid for your contributions while gaining real-world experience.

Why it stands out: It provides you with a paid, professional-grade career entry point through a long-standing partnership between the city’s schools and its top legal institutions. 

12. High School Internship – Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

Location: New York, NY
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; typically ~25-30 students
Dates: June 29th – July 31st
Application Deadline: Mid-March
Eligibility: Current sophomores, juniors, or seniors (10th, 11th, or 12th grade); reside in Manhattan and possess valid U.S. work authorization; not open to international students

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office High School Internship gives students direct exposure to public-sector legal work inside one of the most prominent prosecutor’s offices in the United States. You may support administrative projects, observe office operations, assist with research tasks, and learn how attorneys, investigators, and professional staff work together on criminal cases.

You also gain insight into ethics, justice systems, and the responsibilities involved in public prosecution. Because the office handles a wide range of complex matters, the internship can help you understand how legal work intersects with public safety and civic institutions. Working in a professional government environment also builds communication, organization, and workplace confidence.

Why it stands out: It places students inside a major district attorney’s office, offering firsthand insight into criminal justice and the day-to-day realities of public legal work.

13. The Children’s Law Center (CLC) Administrative Internship

Location: Brooklyn, New York
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; approximately 5-10 students
Dates: Summer cohort (June to August), Fall cohort (September to December), and Spring cohort (January to May)
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Currently high school students; basic understanding of office software and administrative tasks; able to reliably commute to the Brooklyn, New York office; open to international students

The Children’s Law Center offers a mission-driven example of law office internships for high school students, placing you inside a non-profit law firm that represents minors in family court. You explore topics like child advocacy and legal administration through a hands-on lens. During your term, you will manage case files, archive records, and provide office support while shadowing attorneys and social workers.

A unique feature of this program is the opportunity to observe actual court proceedings involving children. You develop vital skills in professional communication and organizational management while learning how legal documentation impacts a child’s welfare.

Why it stands out: It allows you to observe the unique collaboration between attorneys and social workers as they navigate the legal complexities of child representation.

14. Rossen Law Firm Criminal Justice Summer Internship

Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; 5-8 students
Dates: June 8th – July 31st
Application Deadline: April 1st
Eligibility: Current high school students, including American Heritage High School students; able to commute to the Fort Lauderdale office to participate fully in-person; open to international students

You will spend your summer immersed in criminal defense, covering topics including DUI, domestic violence, drug offenses, theft, and high-stakes federal crimes. Throughout the eight weeks, you’ll stay busy by preparing trial binders, reviewing discovery documents, shadowing attorneys, and observing live courtroom action.

This program offers a unique, behind-the-scenes look at private law firm operations where you are treated as an active team member. You will sharpen your legal research, communication, and organizational skills required to manage complex case files effectively. These hands-on tasks ensure you leave with a practical understanding of how a defense strategy is built from the ground up.

Why it stands out: It offers high schoolers rare, high-level responsibility inside a private criminal defense practice, giving you an experience usually reserved for those already in law school.

15. San Francisco Public Defender’s Office High School Internship

Location: San Francisco, CA
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; approximately 15 students
Dates: Offered year-round across three sessions (Spring: January-May; Summer: May-August; Fall: September-December)
Application Deadline: Spring: January; Summer: Late May; Fall: Late July
Eligibility: Current high school students able to commit to a minimum of 8 hours a week for a period of three months; open to international students

In this internship, you will explore the daily operations of the criminal justice system by working directly within the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office. The program covers topics like criminal defense strategy, constitutional law, and the inner workings of the local court system. In this role, you will assist defense teams with case prep, review documents, shadow attorneys during courtroom proceedings, and participate in team meetings.

A unique feature is the opportunity to work alongside investigators and social workers to see how holistic legal advocacy functions in practice. Through these tasks, you’ll sharpen your analytical thinking, professional communication, and legal research skills.

Why it stands out: It immerses you in a high-stakes professional environment where you contribute to real-world cases alongside a full legal defense team.

From Case Files to Career Clarity

Case files, courtroom notes, client records, and legal research tasks can reveal parts of the profession that school debates rarely show.

Law office internships for high school students give you early contact with legal workplaces, helping you understand how attorneys prepare, communicate, and solve problems.

That insight can make your next decisions more focused, whether you are drawn to criminal justice, advocacy, corporate law, or public service.

Ready to connect your internship experience with a future career path? Visit our Career Exploration blogs for practical guidance on skills, study routes, and legal careers.