Topics We Cover:
Why Do Internships in High School?
How to Find Law Internships for High School Students
20 Law Internships for High School Students
Cold Outreach Strategy for Law High School Internships
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
Why do internships in high school?
Before we jump into a long list of law internships for high school students, it is important to understand why these opportunities could matter for your future. According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a US News top 50 University have completed at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities serve as a way to distinguish yourself in the admissions process by showing that you have gone out and verified your future goals through experience. Doing internships will help you enter college with a clearer idea of the professional environments you enjoy or don’t enjoy, which will make it easier for you to recruit into a job you love after graduation. Students who have done at least one internship in high school also typically have an easier time recruiting into college internships and pre-professional organizations such as finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Law Internships for High School Students
The best way to find official programs to apply to is through online search tools and lists. The StandOutSearch database provides the largest free resource that lists almost every internship program for the high school age group and allows you to search by interest area. The CollegeVine blog provides lists of programs as well. Your state or city might also provide a helpful list of opportunities with elected officials or government offices.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, so if you are serious about finding an internship in high school, you should also prepare a cold outreach strategy. You can read more about how to form a cold outreach strategy to find a law high school internship at the end of this article. We also include email templates to make finding an internship position through cold outreach less daunting.
20 Law Internships for High School Students
Most of the high school internship opportunities below have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower, given that there are many more high school students looking for internships relative to official programs that provide them (especially when it comes to remote high school internships). We recommend choosing at least five opportunities to apply to. If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 16-18
Location: Washington DC
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: State-dependent
The United States Senate Page Program introduces students from diverse backgrounds to many interesting and challenging experiences in the nation’s capital. Living away from home with students from across the country allows pages to experience a myriad of new ideas, perspectives, and issues. Pages learn the value of public service while meeting some of our nation’s most prominent leaders and witnessing firsthand the political debates of the United States Senate.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program created thanks to investment from The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation that matches high school students with internships. Students interview with potential mentors who are leaders and innovators within their area of interest until they are hired for a two-month internship. Many students then receive optional return offers to continue with their internship for as long as they would like.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January 2025
The Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program is an intensive program that places diverse NYC public high school students with legal employers for the summer and provides them with additional programming before, during, and after the summer designed to help them prepare for a legal career.
Ages: 15-18
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 2025
The Manhattan District Attorney’s High School Internship Program is a rigorous internship that provides students with an insider’s view of the criminal justice system. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in workshops and discussions surrounding criminal justice, police brutality, civic engagement, leadership, and more. Program participants will take part in a series of presentations and conversations with staff in order to build a foundational understanding of how policies are developed and implemented and of how academic and career paths can result in moving justice forward.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Illinois
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: July 2025
The Saper Law Immersion Program was founded in 2013 by Daliah Saper, Principal Attorney at Saper Law Offices. While originally intended for recent law school graduates, the program has evolved into a week-long camp that exposes high school and college students to the legal profession. The course takes place at Saper Law Offices and is taught by Daliah Saper and other Saper Law attorneys. The curriculum consists of negotiation and writing exercises, field trips, and mock legal proceedings. Since Saper Law practices heavily in the areas of social media and digital technology, a key component of the exercises will involve entertainment, business, and internet-related legal case studies.
Ages: 14-18
Location: New York
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
The New York University High School Law Institute (“HSLI”) is a student-run organization that serves talented and motivated high school students throughout New York City. Alongside their sister program at Columbia Law School, they offer free, yearlong academic programming in constitutional law, criminal law, and speech and debate on Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM.
Ages: 16-17
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 2025
The Sotomayor Program has helped over 400 high school, college, and law school students gain experience with the legal system and develop their professional skills! The program helps cultivate and develop future leaders from underserved communities and diverse backgrounds as well as increase diversity in the legal profession.
Ages: 17-18
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 2025
Since 2005, the Temple of Understanding has implemented its commitment to the education of young people by hosting a Summer Internship. TOU’s student interns attend some open meetings of the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, and various committees. This program launches their careers as global citizens who care about the humanitarian goals embraced by the UN.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Connecticut
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: February 2025
The Attorney General serves as Connecticut’s chief legal officer for civil matters, and the OAG serves as legal counsel to all state agencies. Internships are unpaid volunteer positions open to graduate and law students, paralegal, undergraduate, and highly motivated high-school students.
Ages: 16-18
Location: California
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Rolling
Volunteers have the opportunity to learn about the criminal justice system firsthand and work closely with all levels of staff, from deputy district attorneys to investigators to support staff, as well as have contact with other court and law enforcement staff. A high school volunteer student can be expected to assist with any of the following duties: Scanning, photocopying, and/or shredding of documents; answering telephones, typing, filing, delivering documents; assembling reports, documents or manuals; and other duties depending on education and skills.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Massachusetts
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
The Mayor’s Youth Council is a program that engages Boston’s high school students in government and civic participation. The MYC has 86 council members, each of whom works in one of eight committees and a neighborhood working group. Each committee is led by two co-directors, and each neighborhood working group is led by two co-liaisons. The Council represents every neighborhood in Boston, with members who are confirmed by Mayor Wu through an application and interview process. Council members are selected for a one-year term and work with the Mayor’s Office, community leaders, and city officials.
Ages: 14-18
Location: California
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: January 2025
The Student Advisory Board is made up of high school students who live or attend high school in the 18th Congressional District. Past Student Advisory Boards have researched topics and polled students on issues important to young people and made recommendations on legislation being considered in Congress. Their most recent reports have covered important topics such as alternative energy, the economy, human rights, and the Innovation Agenda.
Ages: 14-18
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: April 2025
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office offers high school, college and legal internships throughout the year. These highly competitive internships offer students a unique opportunity to be part of a district attorney’s office. An intern’s duties may include assisting in investigations, attending trials, preparing and compiling documents and financial data, conducting and analyzing legal research, and supporting community outreach programs.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New York
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: August 2025
Interns apply to the department that interests them most and, if selected, will work within that department for the duration of their internship. In their positions, interns will have the chance to collaborate with staff and work on a range of projects. These projects may include conducting research, attending meetings, managing incoming inquiries, analyzing data, drafting briefings, staffing events, assisting with outreach, and supporting special projects.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New Jersey
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Various Deadlines
Senator Cory Booker’s office offers a limited number of fall, spring, and summer internships for high school and college students, as well as recent college graduates. Internships are in Senator Booker’s Washington, D.C., Newark, New Jersey, and Camden, New Jersey offices and provide an excellent way to learn first-hand how Congress works.
Ages: 14-18
Location: California
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: February 2025
The City and County of San Francisco offers various internships and summer programs for high school students through several departments and programs (Airport, City Attorney, Department of Children, Youth and Their Families, Department of Elections, District Attorney, General Services Adminstration, Office of Economic Workforce Development, Public Utilities Commission, Opportunities for All [San Francisco Students Only], and Public Works).
Ages: 16-17
Location: Oregon
Timeline: School Year, Summer
Deadline: April 2025
Students who are selected for the program work one-on-one with an attorney mentor over the course of the school year. In the past, mentors have helped students with college essays, taken students to observe courtroom proceedings, and provided general networking assistance on topics of the students’ interests.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Massachusetts
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Rolling
City Mission offers a Social Justice Internship Program for high school students or recent graduates interested in social activism and working for change in Boston. The program aims to dismantle systems of oppression and create lasting change through group collaborations and independent research, offering opportunities for activism and involvement in community work. Interns participate in conferences and workshops to learn about ongoing events and amplify their voices for collective liberation. They work on a presentation project of their choice, engage in positive news discussions, and collaborate on events and actions. The program also invites local and national leaders for conversations to inspire growth, connections, and learning. The program is adjusted based on interns’ interests and ideas, with a stipend of $15 per hour.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Varies by Position
The Smithsonian Office of Internships provides high school students the opportunity to gain experience in the world’s largest museum, education, and research institution. There are a variety of virtual, hybrid, and in-person internship opportunities across the various different museums, such as the National Museum of Natural History, National Portrait Museum, National Museum of the American Indian, and a variety of others.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Varies by Position
FPRI offers internships for students during the Summer, Fall, and Spring terms. Interns have the opportunity to connect with members of the foreign relations community and gain experience working for a prestigious think tank. Each intern is paired with a scholar or professional in the field who will work with them to develop industry-specific skills as well as sharpen general skills that come from working in a professional environment, such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and time management. Summer interns have the opportunity to attend weekly foreign policy and career-focused seminars with guest speakers. Additionally, interns have the opportunity to work on a research paper to be considered for publication on FPRI’s Intern Corner.
Cold Outreach Strategy for Law High School Internships
If the opportunities listed above don’t turn out to be a fit, the next step to finding a legal high school internship is to launch a cold outreach strategy. This may seem intimidating at first, but the guide below should make it much more simple. As an added note, please exercise caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know. It is always safest to interview or meet virtually.
How to Find Mentors to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Law is one of the most difficult interest areas to find internships in during high school because most legal internships are only for students in law school. Even college students struggle a great deal to be hired by most law firms and government officials. Political campaigns and local government officials such as Alderman are much more likely to respond to your outreach than a lawyer or firm. Generally, university career advancement offices recommend that high school and undergraduate students who are interested in law look for internships at socially driven nonprofits or companies with missions that they care about. Writing and communication-heavy roles such as drafting grants or content creation tend to be the best preparation for a legal career.
You can use LinkedIn to find small companies and nonprofits where you can help with these skills. Smaller organizations that need more hands on deck will be the most likely to hire high-school-aged students. Try to find personal connections with the professionals you reach out to, such as being from the same state originally or liking the same sports team.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to potential internship providers. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which should be no more than one page while you are in high school. UChicago provides a helpful free resume template and guide. We recommend including your resume as a Google Drive link because including it as a PDF will sometimes negatively impact the deliverability of your email. However, be sure to check that the sharing settings on the document allow anyone with the link to view its contents. It can also be a good idea to include a writing sample on your resume, such as a paper that earned you an A.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you are unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can customize to your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I read about your organization on LinkedIn and found the concept quite interesting. For context, [briefly state how the organization relates to your interests or experience].
I was wondering if you might be looking for interns. I know I would have a great deal to learn from working with you, and I would love to contribute to your work in any way I can. I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Whether you are applying to established programs or launching a cold outreach strategy, the name of the game when looking for a high school internship is perseverance. These opportunities can be extremely difficult to secure, but most high school students find it worth it in the end to get a head start on building their careers. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to save it for later or share it with a friend. Good luck on your internship search journey!