15 Law Camps for High School Students
Law camps offer a focused way to explore that question without committing to a long or costly program. In just a few days or a week, you can practice core skills like argumentation, legal reasoning, public speaking, and case analysis while working alongside attorneys, judges, or law students. Many of these camps are run by law schools, courts, and legal organizations, which means you gain exposure to real legal environments and professional perspectives early on. Because they are shorter and more targeted, they make it easier to test your interest in law before pursuing more intensive opportunities like internships or pre-law programs.
If you’re interested in summer internships in law, you can check out a list here!
How are camps different from other programs in high school?
These camps are typically more compact and skills-driven than other high school programs, with a clear emphasis on hands-on legal work rather than broad academic coursework. Instead of following a semester-style structure, you spend your time preparing mock trials, analyzing cases, or working through legal problems in a fast-paced setting. Many are hosted by courts, bar associations, or independent legal organizations rather than traditional university departments, which often makes the experience more practical and directly tied to the profession. If you’re interested in law, this format allows you to quickly understand what the field involves and whether it’s something you want to pursue further.
To help you explore your options, we’ve narrowed down 15 law camps for high school students that stand out for their focus, structure, and meaningful exposure to the legal field.
Quick Look
15 law camps total spanning mock trial, moot court, criminal justice investigation, conflict resolution, and pre-law academic study, hosted at institutions including NYU School of Law, Stetson University, USF, and a federal courthouse in New Orleans
Most camps are free, including UTEP, University of Arizona, HNBF Future Latino Leaders, Connecticut Bar Association, Thomas D. Horne Leadership, and the New Orleans Federal Bar Association camp; the highest-cost options are NYU's Pre-Law Bootcamp ($2,579) and Stetson Young Scholars Pre-Law Camps ($1,000), with FAU's Criminal Justice Camp close behind at $950.
Several camps are highly limited in cohort size, including St. Ambrose (14 students), University of Arizona (30 students), and Stetson Young Scholars (15 students per session), making early applications especially important
Most camps are open to students from grades 9 through 12, thoughGrace College and Alvernia University also accept younger students, with Alvernia open to students as young as grade 5 and Grace College starting at grade 7.
The earliest deadlines are UTEP (March 2), Thomas D. Horne (March 31), and HNBF Future Latino Leaders (March 15), so students interested in free, competitive programs should begin applications in late winter
1. UTEP LSPI High School Law Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 22 – July 3
Application Deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and recently graduated students
Set on a university campus, this law camp for high school students gives you a broad introduction to legal study through a mix of academic instruction and practical exercises. You explore how lawyers read cases, build arguments, and communicate clearly through writing-focused sessions and legal analysis workshops. The program also includes presentations by attorneys and law students, which help you understand how legal education connects to real-world professional pathways. Field trips to legal community organizations provide useful context by showing you how legal work functions outside the classroom. You may also complete presentations, written assignments, or other academic tasks that push you to apply what you learn.
2. University of Arizona Summer Law Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 30 students
Location: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: May 26–28
Application Deadline: April 21
Eligibility: Students must be currently enrolled in either 9th, 10th or 11th grade
This short-format camp introduces you to the legal field through workshops focused on argumentation, reasoning, and advocacy. You examine topics such as constitutional law, criminal justice, and legal decision-making while building confidence in public speaking and debate. Rather than treating law as a purely theoretical subject, the program uses mock-trial activities to demonstrate how legal ideas are applied in structured settings. A court tour also helps ground the experience in the spaces where legal proceedings take place. Participants are encouraged to think through legal problems, respond to competing arguments, and organize ideas clearly.
3. HNBF Future Latino Leaders Summer Law Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: Washington, D.C.
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: July 19–26
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: 9th–12th graders with a minimum 2.5 GPA who are interested in law, leadership, and community service
Held in Washington, D.C., this camp provides exposure to law through direct interaction with legal institutions, public service spaces, and practicing professionals. You take classes led by law professors, join a mock trial team, and learn how attorneys prepare arguments, examine witnesses, and approach case strategy. The law camp for high school students also includes workshops on college, law school, scholarships, and internships, so it connects legal interest with longer-term academic planning. Visits to courts, government agencies, embassies, and national civic sites give the experience a strong institutional and public-policy dimension. You also get to observe how law intersects with government, international affairs, and public service in one of the country’s most relevant legal settings.
4. Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) LAW Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Limited spots
Location: UConn School of Law, Hartford, CT
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: July 6–10
Application Deadline: May 31
Eligibility: High school students; The camp particularly aims to support students who have overcome adversity, are first in their family to pursue the legal profession, or cannot afford traditional private camps
This camp approaches law through active participation rather than broad career overviews, which makes the experience feel concrete from the start. You engage in advocacy training, panel discussions, and mentorship while preparing for a mock trial competition. Along the way, you meet attorneys, judges, and law students who can speak to different parts of the profession and its day-to-day demands. Observing real court proceedings adds another layer by helping you connect legal instruction to actual courtroom procedure. The camp emphasizes support and access, thus creating space for students who may not have had prior exposure to the legal field.
5. CJ Summer Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Location: College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
Cost: $725
Dates: Session 1: June 14–18 | Session 2: July 5–9
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: High school students ages 15–17; not open to international students
At Sam Houston State University, this law camp for high school students introduces you to the criminal justice system through investigative exercises and direct conversations with professionals in the field. You take part in mock crime-scene work and related activities that demonstrate how evidence is gathered, examined, and used in legal and investigative contexts. Guest sessions by agencies and public safety professionals help you see how criminal justice operates across law enforcement, forensics, and corrections. The program connects technical investigation with broader questions about public safety and the legal process, making the learning more applied.
6. FAU's Criminal Justice Summer Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25 campers
Location: FAU Campus, Boca Raton, FL
Cost: $950
Dates: Session 1: June 9–14 | Session 2: July 12–17
Application Deadline: Rolling registration
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9 to 12 in the coming fall; open to international students
Florida Atlantic University’s camp introduces you to criminal justice through a mix of campus-based learning and off-site field experiences. You work through crime scene investigation activities, examine how forensic evidence is handled, and observe demonstrations from specialized law-enforcement units. Visits to sites such as the Medical Examiner’s Office and other public-safety agencies help clarify how different parts of the justice system interact. The curriculum also touches on topics like major investigations, court procedure, and legal consequences, giving you a broader framework for what you are seeing.
7. Stetson Young Scholars Pre-Law Camps
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15 students per camp
Location: Stetson University, DeLand, FL
Cost: $1,000 (includes a $500 non-refundable registration fee); need-based scholarships available
Dates: Mock Trial Camp: July 7–11 | Mock Trial Camp: July 21–25 | Moot Court Camp: July 14–18
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students residing in the U.S.
Stetson’s pre-law camps for high school students are designed for those who want a more focused introduction to courtroom and appellate advocacy. Depending on the session, you either work through a trial procedure or concentrate on moot court, where the emphasis shifts to briefs and oral argument on legal issues. In the mock trial format, you practice pre-trial motions, evidence rules, witness examinations, and persuasive openings and closings. In the moot court format, you learn how appellate arguments are structured and how legal reasoning changes when you are arguing before a panel rather than examining witnesses. Instruction is intense and skills-based, with a strong focus on applying legal rules.
8. USF Summer Camps – JGHC: Mock Trial Intensive
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 32 students
Location: USF St. Petersburg, Tampa, FL
Cost: $695
Dates: July 6–10
Application deadline: Not specified (applications open February 1)
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10th-12th
This mock trial program is built around working through an entire case in a compressed, practice-oriented format. You learn how to question witnesses, shape arguments, and deliver opening and closing statements while preparing for a final simulated trial. Daily workshops focus on courtroom strategy, public speaking, and analytical reasoning, so the camp is built around skill development rather than mere exposure. Guidance from experienced instructors and collegiate mock trial competitors helps make the training more specific and performance-based. A standout feature is the culminating mock trial at Stetson Law, which gives the program a more formal courtroom dimension. Panel discussions with legal professionals also broaden the experience by introducing topics such as law school pathways and the realities of legal careers.
9. UAB Pre-Law Journey to Attorney Summer Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Cost: $600
Dates: July 11–17
Application Deadline: June 11
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
This week-long law camp for high school students centers on trial advocacy, giving you the chance to learn and perform core courtroom skills in a formal setting. Using a reimagined version of the Scottsboro case as its foundation, the program asks you to study facts, develop arguments, and prepare for a full mock trial. You work on the kinds of tasks that shape a case, including building presentations, understanding trial structure, and practicing courtroom delivery. Because the camp ends with a live trial presentation in a real courtroom, the experience feels more applied than a standard pre-law overview. The residential format also adds a college-life component, since you spend the week on campus while participating in the program.
10. New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association Justice Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 22–26
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising 9th and 10th graders
Hosted inside a federal courthouse, this camp introduces you to the legal system in a setting that is closely tied to actual judicial work. You explore the structure of the federal courts and discuss issues such as constitutional rights, privacy, free speech, and fairness in jury processes. Interactive sessions with lawyers and judges help explain how different legal roles operate within the court system. The program also includes tours and opportunities to observe live proceedings, which helps legal concepts feel more immediate and grounded. The mock trial at the end gives you the chance to put those ideas into action through structured argument and role-based participation.
11. Thomas D. Horne Leadership in the Law Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Foxcroft School in Middleburg and downtown Leesburg locations, VA
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 21-26
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
This residential camp blends legal instruction with case preparation, evidence work, and trial simulation in a way that feels more immersive than a typical summer workshop. You are introduced to both criminal and civil law, as well as courtroom procedure, crime scene investigation, and evidence handling. Legal teams work through a case from multiple angles, studying facts, interviewing witnesses and experts, and developing exhibits for trial. The law camp for high school students culminates in a mock jury trial where you take on attorney roles before a sitting judge. Team-building is woven into the experience, which supports the collaborative side of advocacy and case preparation.
12. St. Ambrose University Mock Trial Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 14 campers
Location: St. Ambrose University / Folwell Center, Davenport, IA
Cost: $100
Dates: June 10–11
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 8-12
St. Ambrose’s camp is short, but it stays tightly focused on the core skills that shape a strong mock trial performance. You work with actual case materials while improving openings, closings, witness roles, and your understanding of the rules of evidence. The program ends with a competition, followed by feedback and awards, which gives you a direct way to measure how well you can use what you learned. It stands out for its emphasis on both attorney and witness performance, rather than only one side of the trial process. That broader focus can be especially helpful if you are new to mock trial and want to understand how all the roles fit together.
13. Alvernia University Mock Trial Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Alvernia University, Reading, PA
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Dates: June 15–19
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 5–12
At Alvernia, the law camp for high school students is built around trial advocacy, legal reasoning, and courtroom procedure, with a steady progression from skill-building to case presentation. Morning sessions introduce the mechanics of trial work, including objections, evidence, witness handling, and the structure of courtroom argument. In the afternoons, you work in teams to prepare a simplified case centered on a First Amendment issue, which provides the program with a specific legal foundation. Undergraduate mentors support the process, helping you shape examination questions, draft statements, and prepare for trial roles. By the end of the week, you present both sides of the case in a full mock trial simulation, and some students may also serve as jurors.
14. Grace College Conflict Resolution/PreLaw Camp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Location: Grace College, Winona Lake, IN
Cost: $200 (discounted rate available)
Dates: June 22–26
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 7–12
Rather than focusing only on courtroom advocacy, this camp introduces you to mediation as an important part of legal problem-solving. You learn how conflicts can be addressed through negotiation and structured resolution, which gives you a broader picture of what legal work can involve beyond litigation. The program asks you to step into several roles, including client, advocate, and mediator, so you see disputes from multiple perspectives. Instruction from Grace College’s mediation team adds depth to the experience and helps connect camp activities to real competitive and professional practice. The emphasis on win-win solutions and communication also makes the camp relevant to students interested in debate, public speaking, diplomacy, or future pre-law study.
15. NYU’s Pre-Law Bootcamp
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not selective
Location: NYU School of Law, Washington Square, New York City, NY
Cost: $2579
Dates: Multiple week-long sessions between June and August
Application deadline: Registration is recommended at least three weeks before the course start date
Eligibility: High school students who have completed grades 9, 10, or 11
NYU’s program introduces you to legal study through a structured academic format that emphasizes legal reasoning, substantive law, and the workings of the U.S. legal system. You examine real cases and use them to practice the kind of analysis that underlies legal argument and courtroom thinking. The curriculum also includes discussions of litigation, legal careers, and the institutions that shape legal practice, such as courts, government agencies, and public-interest organizations. Speaker panels add professional context by showing how different legal paths develop beyond the classroom.
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Questions Students Often Ask About These Programs
1. I have no experience with mock trials or legal argumentation. Will I be lost at these camps, or are they designed for beginners?
Most camps on this list are explicitly designed for students with no prior legal experience. Programs like the Connecticut Bar Association camp, UTEP, and the University of Arizona camp start from the basics of legal reasoning and argumentation before moving into any competitive or courtroom simulation work. Even the more skills-intensive programs like Stetson and UAB are structured to teach you the relevant techniques during the camp itself rather than assuming you already know them. If you're starting from scratch, avoiding the NYU Pre-Law Bootcamp as your first experience may be wise, since its academic format assumes stronger independent study habits.
2. What is the difference between a mock trial camp and a moot court camp, and which one should I choose?
Mock trial focuses on trial-level procedure, meaning you practice questioning witnesses, handling evidence, and delivering opening and closing statements as if you were in a real courtroom with a judge and jury. Moot court, offered at Stetson, focuses on appellate advocacy, where there are no witnesses and the work centers on written briefs and oral arguments about legal questions before a panel of judges. If you enjoy debate-style argumentation and legal analysis, moot court tends to suit that preference better, while mock trial is a stronger fit if you're drawn to storytelling, witness examination, and courtroom performance.
3. Several of these camps are free. Are the free options less rigorous or less valuable than the paid ones like NYU or Stetson?
Not at all — some of the most substantive programs on this list are free. The HNBF Future Latino Leaders camp takes place in Washington, D.C., with access to courts, government agencies, and law professors, while the Thomas D. Horne camp involves a full residential mock jury trial before a sitting judge. The Connecticut Bar Association camp includes real court observations alongside mock trial preparation. The paid programs like NYU and Stetson offer strong institutional branding and polished structures, but the free camps often provide equally hands-on legal exposure, and in some cases more direct access to working legal professionals.