Studying law in high school is a good way to test whether a legal career fits you, and it builds skills that help anywhere: critical thinking, research, and public speaking. Below are ten strong law programs for high school students, with what each involves, who can apply, and how much weight it carries.
1. National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) — Law and Advocacy
What it involves:
The NSLC Law and Advocacy program runs mock trials, legal research, and courtroom simulations led by attorneys and law professors. Workshops on debate and public speaking build the advocacy side.
Eligibility:
Open to high school students in grades 9–12 with an interest in law or public policy. A teacher or counselor nomination helps but isn’t required.
Why it counts:
A well-known leadership program with a broad curriculum and good networking. Note it’s a paid program, not a selective scholarship.
2. Intensive Law & Trial (Envision, with Stanford Law School)
What it involves:
Run by Envision in collaboration with Stanford Law School, this 10-day program is held on the Stanford Law campus in Palo Alto. Students cover legal theory, ethics, and rhetoric, then put it to work: writing opening and closing arguments, building a case, and cross-examining witnesses in a courtroom simulation. The program is endorsed by the American Mock Trial Association, and you can earn college credit through a partner university.
Eligibility:
High school students in grades 9–12. It’s a paid program (tuition is roughly $5,000), so factor in cost.
Why it counts:
The Stanford Law setting, faculty lectures, and AMTA endorsement make this one of the better-known trial-advocacy programs for high schoolers.
3. Georgetown Summer Programs: Law Academy
What it involves:
Held on Georgetown’s campus in Washington, D.C., the Law Academy looks at how laws are made, adjudicated, and administered. Students learn from Georgetown faculty, debate current legal issues, and take part in mock trials, with the city’s legal and political institutions close at hand.
Eligibility:
High school students with a strong academic record and an interest in law or government. The application includes a transcript and a personal statement.
Why it counts:
Georgetown is a top university for law and government, and the D.C. location gives students unusual access to the legal and political world.
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4. Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS): Politics, Law, and Economics
What it involves:
The Politics, Law, and Economics session of Yale’s summer program looks at how law, policy, and economic systems connect. Through seminars, case studies, and discussions, students dig into legal systems, political theory, and economic models.
Eligibility:
High-achieving students aged 16–17 from around the world. Applicants submit essays, recommendations, and transcripts.
Why it counts:
YYGS is one of the more competitive and academically demanding summer programs for high schoolers, and the Yale connection carries weight. Need-based financial aid is available.
5. Harvard Secondary School Program: Law Courses
What it involves:
Part of Harvard’s Secondary School Program, this lets high schoolers take an actual undergraduate-level course for college credit. Law-related options cover topics like constitutional law, ethics, and the judicial system.
Eligibility:
Students aged 15 and older with a strong academic record. A teacher recommendation and transcript are required.
Why it counts:
Doing real college coursework at Harvard shows you can handle a demanding academic environment, and the credit is genuine.
6. Envision’s Law & CSI Program
What it involves:
Envision’s Law & CSI program pairs law with criminal justice, focusing on the forensic and investigative side of a case. Students run mock trials, work in forensic labs, and visit legal institutions.
Eligibility:
High school students in grades 9–12 interested in criminal justice, law enforcement, or legal studies. It’s a paid program.
Why it counts:
The hands-on, interactive format appeals to students drawn to the investigative side of law.
7. University of Chicago Summer Law Institute
What it involves:
A one-week program covering legal writing, case analysis, and courtroom procedure, taught by University of Chicago law professors. The focus is on critical thinking and argument.
Eligibility:
High school juniors and seniors with a strong academic record. Admission requires a writing sample and a recommendation letter.
Why it counts:
It’s hosted by one of the country’s top law schools and is selective, which makes it a standout for students set on law.
8. Constitutional Rights Foundation: Mock Trial Competitions
What it involves:
A mock trial competition where students argue simulated court cases, serving as attorneys, witnesses, and jurors with the help of legal mentors and coaches.
Eligibility:
Open to high school students, usually through a school-sponsored mock trial team.
Why it counts:
Mock trial is well respected and free to join through your school. It shows teamwork, public speaking, and real legal reasoning, the closest thing to courtroom practice you can do in high school.
9. Harvard Pre-College Program: Legal Studies
What it involves:
A two-week residential program with law-related courses such as Introduction to American Law, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Critical Race Theory. Students live on Harvard’s campus and debate complex legal topics alongside their coursework.
Eligibility:
High school juniors and seniors, generally aged 16–18.
Why it counts:
It combines college-level coursework with living on campus, so you get a real preview of college life as well as the subject. Note it’s a paid program (not the credit-bearing Secondary School Program at #5).
10. NYU High School Academy: Pre-Law
What it involves:
An introduction to the legal profession through lectures, panel discussions, and mock trials covering litigation, case studies, and substantive law. Students also visit legal institutions like courthouses and government agencies for a fuller picture of the U.S. legal system.
Eligibility:
Open to rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Why it counts:
NYU has a strong reputation in legal education, and the New York City location puts students near a major legal hub.
Building a research project too? Try ScienceFair.io
If you’re also working on a science fair project, ScienceFair.io is a platform built for high and middle school students, from finding an idea to presenting your final work. You can schedule a consultation call to map out a plan.
What it offers:
- Idea engine: generate research ideas based on thousands of past projects.
- Step-by-step research guide: work through the research process one stage at a time.
- Tuner: sharpen your project title and abstract so they land with judges.
- AI judging tool: practice the judging Q&A and find weak spots before the real thing.
- Expert coaching: mentorship from past winners through the A-Z Science Fair Masterclass and coaching calls.
Take a look at ScienceFair.io if a research project is on your list.
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