20+ Law Internships for High School Students in 2026

Updated in October 2026

TL;DR

Law internships for high school students mostly run through bar associations, courts and prosecutor or public defender offices, and most of them only take students who live or go to school in one city, county or state. About half of the programs below pay, from a $250 stipend to $15 an hour, and the most selective close in early January. If nothing near you fits, Ladder Internships is fully remote and pairs you with a startup for an eight-week project, a way to see how the businesses corporate lawyers advise actually run.

Law internships for high school students fall into four groups: prestigious placements with judges, federal courts and big-city prosecutors, law firm internships, paid programs run by bar associations and courts, and free placements with courts, public defenders and legal nonprofits. Most are summer law internships of two to eight weeks, while a few public offices take interns during the school year. Each entry below lists pay, current dates and deadlines, and who can apply, so you can see quickly which ones you qualify for and what each would show you about working in law.

What Are the Requirements for High School Law Internships?

Most high school law internships require you to live or go to school in the city or county the program serves, to be a rising junior or senior, and to apply with a teacher recommendation or an interview.

Where you live or go to school: The Manhattan DA's program only takes students who live in Manhattan, the Dallas Bar's program only takes Dallas ISD juniors, and Law Links only takes Baltimore City public school students who live in the city. Check this line first, since it rules out more applicants than grades do.

Your grade and age: Most programs want rising juniors and seniors, though Broward County's public defender program is built for rising 10th graders and CAIR-Chicago takes all four grades. Court and public defender offices in New York and Nashville set a minimum age of 16, and federal rules let 16 and 17 year olds work any nonhazardous job without the hour limits that apply to younger teens.

Grades and paperwork: The Dallas Bar asks for an 85 average and no more than 10 absences, Taft asks for a B average, and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn requires U.S. citizenship and a security clearance.

Are Law Internships for High School Students Paid or Unpaid?

Both: law firm and bar association programs usually pay, while courts, public defenders and legal nonprofits usually take unpaid volunteers.

Factor	Paid law internships	Unpaid law internships
Who runs them	Law firms, bar associations and some courts and DA offices	Public defenders, courts, prosecutors and legal nonprofits
Pay	From a $250 stipend to $15 an hour	None, though some count toward school credit or service hours
Schedule	Usually full-time for two to eight weeks in summer	Often part-time, and several run during the school year
How to get in	Applications, interviews and fixed winter or spring deadlines	Often rolling or several sessions a year

Why firms pay and public offices often don't: The Department of Labor's guidance on internships says interns at for-profit employers often count as employees who must be paid, depending on who benefits most from the internship, while unpaid volunteer internships at government agencies and charitable nonprofits are generally allowed.

Paid programs to check first: The Atlanta Bar's program pays $2,000 for six weeks, the federal court fellowship in Delaware pays $400 a week, and Taft pays $300 a week.

What unpaid placements offer instead: Flexibility and access. San Francisco's public defender takes students for 8 hours a week, CAIR-Chicago counts your time as service hours, and Nashville's public defender may let you shadow attorneys in court.

What Skills Do Law Internships Teach High School Students?

Law internships teach legal research and writing, how a courtroom and a law office actually work, and the professional habits every legal job depends on.

Research and writing: Atlanta Bar interns write a 750-word essay on a Supreme Court decision, and Law Links interns complete a 50-hour Law & Leadership Institute alongside their jobs.

How courts work: Interns in the Sotomayor program and Delaware's federal court fellowship work in judges' chambers, and the Manhattan DA's program ends in a mock trial. You can also practice before you apply: some federal courts, such as the Eastern District of Washington, invite students to sit in the courtroom gallery and watch proceedings.

Workplace skills: Filing, case preparation, client intake and writing for supervisors are the daily work of paralegals and junior lawyers, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts lawyers' median pay at $159,670 a year, which shows where these early skills can lead.

How to Apply for Law Internships as a High School Student

Start in the fall, since the most selective law internships close in early January and most bar association programs close between March and May.

Look near you first: Most programs take only local students, so check your city's bar association, district attorney, public defender and courthouse websites. Our step-by-step guide on how to get a law internship in high school walks through the search. For city-by-city options, see our lists of law internships in NYC, Seattle, Charlotte, Connecticut and Canada.

Prepare your materials: Expect a resume, a transcript, a teacher recommendation and a short statement about why you want to work in law. The Memphis Bar asks for a statement of interest, and the Atlanta Bar's interns write a longer essay once they start.

Get ready for an interview: The Thurgood Marshall program, the Sotomayor program, the Dallas Bar and the Judicial Youth Corps all interview applicants, and Memphis runs group interviews. Practice explaining what draws you to law and what you hope to learn.

How We Selected These Programs

Every program below is open to high school students on its own official website and has a current or upcoming cycle, or runs on a standing schedule.

Real legal work: Each placement puts you in a court, a law firm, a corporate legal department, a prosecutor or public defender's office, or a legal nonprofit. Summer law camps and courses are covered in our guide to law programs for high school students.

Clear eligibility: We note residency, grade, age and GPA rules in each Eligibility line so you can rule programs in or out quickly.

Strongest first: Sections and programs are ordered by selectivity, pay and how close the work gets you to judges and lawyers.

Section	Top programs	Cost	Best for
Prestigious Law Internships	Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program, Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program, Delaware District Court Fellowship	Free; most pay	Students who want a selective placement with judges, federal courts or a large firm
Law Firm Internships	Houston Bar and Communities In Schools, Dallas Bar Summer Law Intern Program, Nashville Bar High School Intern Program	Free and mostly paid	Students who want to see how a law firm or corporate legal department works
Paid Law Internships	Atlanta Bar Summer Law Internship Program, Judicial Youth Corps, Law Links	Free; from a $250 stipend to $15 an hour	Students who want a paid summer job in law
Free Law Internships	8th Judicial District Internship, Richmond County DA, Broward County Public Defender	Free and unpaid	Students who want court or public defense experience, often during the school year

Prestigious Law Internships

Prestigious law internships for high school students put you inside a judge's chambers, a federal courthouse, a major law firm or a big-city prosecutor's office, and each one in this section only takes students from one city or county, mostly in New York. Most are paid, and the most selective close their applications in early January.

1. Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program (New York City Bar)

Location: New York City, NY (in person at law firms, corporations, nonprofits and government offices)
Cost/Stipend: Free to join; it is a paid internship, and the rate isn't listed on the program's page
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, with an information session and an interview round; cohort size isn't published
Dates: Summer 2026 placements ran six to eight weeks after spring workshops; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: The 2026 cycle took applications from December 15, 2025 to January 12, 2026; the 2027 window isn't posted yet
Eligibility: New York City public high school students

The Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program, run by the New York City Bar Association, places New York City public high school students in paid summer jobs with legal employers. Past employers have included Akin Gump, Cravath, DLA Piper and the New York State court system, along with corporations and nonprofits. The program runs from spring through August, with virtual workshops before the job starts, a kickoff and networking event, and a panel on careers in law outside the courtroom. It is one of the few ways a public school student in New York can work inside a large law firm before college.

Who it's best for: A New York City public school student who wants to see how a large law firm or corporate legal department works from the inside.

2. Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program

Location: New York City, NY (state and federal courthouses in the five boroughs)
Cost/Stipend: Free; pay isn't listed on the program's page
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, with an interview round in March; cohort size isn't published
Dates: Summer 2026 internships ran in July 2026 after a May orientation; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: The 2026 application opened December 6, 2025 and closed January 9, 2026; the 2027 window isn't posted yet
Eligibility: Current high school juniors in New York City, who intern the summer before senior year

The Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program places New York City juniors with a state or federal judge for the summer. You work in the judge's chambers, where you see how cases move through a courthouse and how a judge and law clerks prepare for hearings and decisions. The program adds supplemental classes and mentorship around the placement, so you learn the legal system as well as the office routine. Applications open in early December and close in early January, with interviews in March, so plan for it during the fall of junior year.

Who it's best for: A New York City junior who wants to spend a summer in a judge's chambers and learn how court decisions get made.

3. U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware: High School Summer Fellowship

Location: Federal courthouse, Wilmington, DE
Cost/Stipend: $400 a week, or $1,600 for the four weeks
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size isn't published
Dates: July 6 to July 31, 2026; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: April 1, 2026; the 2027 deadline isn't posted yet
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors at a New Castle County, Delaware high school who are U.S. citizens or green card holders

The U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware runs this four-week fellowship for New Castle County students, who spend the summer in federal judges' chambers and with other court staff. Fellows observe court proceedings, help with the daily work of chambers and meet leaders of Delaware's legal community. The $1,600 stipend makes it one of the better paid programs here for a month of work. Only students at New Castle County high schools can apply, so check that your school qualifies before you start an application.

Who it's best for: A New Castle County student who wants a paid month inside a federal courthouse watching how judges handle cases.

4. Manhattan District Attorney's Office: High School Internship Program

Location: Manhattan District Attorney's Office, New York, NY (in person)
Cost/Stipend: Paid at minimum wage
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size isn't published
Dates: June 29 to July 31, 2026, Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: Applications for 2026 have closed; the 2027 window isn't posted yet
Eligibility: Current juniors or seniors who live in Manhattan

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office runs a five-week summer internship for high school juniors and seniors who live in Manhattan, paid at minimum wage for a full workday. Interns work in the office alongside prosecutors and staff, and the program adds workshops, group discussions and a mock trial program, where you argue a case the way an assistant district attorney would. The Monday to Friday schedule makes it a full summer job, so it is hard to combine with other programs. It gives a clear view of what prosecutors do, from preparing a case to presenting it in court.

Who it's best for: A Manhattan junior or senior who is curious about becoming a prosecutor and wants a paid summer inside a DA's office.

5. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York: Student Internships

Location: Brooklyn and Central Islip, NY
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid volunteer position
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Applications are reviewed as they arrive; cohort size isn't published
Dates: Usually in the summer; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: Usually rolling; email the office's summer intern address listed on its page
Eligibility: Entering high school seniors who are U.S. citizens

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is the federal prosecutor for Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island, and it takes entering high school seniors as volunteer interns. Teams that host students include the Victim and Witness Unit, accounting, human resources and IT, which show you how a federal prosecutor's office runs behind its cases. Every intern needs U.S. citizenship and a security clearance, so start the paperwork well before summer. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, which makes it one of the few federal law internships open to high school students.

Who it's best for: An entering senior in New York City or on Long Island who wants to see how a federal prosecutor's office works.

Law Firm Internships

Law firm internships for high school students are mostly arranged by bar associations, which place students with firms and corporate legal departments for two to eight weeks, and most of them pay. Firms rarely post high school roles themselves, and the Memphis, Atlanta and Baltimore programs under Paid Law Internships also place students at firms; our list of top law firm internships for high school students has more.

6. Houston Bar Association and Communities In Schools: Summer Legal Internship

Location: Houston, TX (in person at host law firms)
Cost/Stipend: Paid; the rate isn't listed on the Houston Bar's page
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 11 host law firms and 16 mentors in 2026; the number of students isn't published
Dates: Summer 2026 ran eight weeks, from a June 18 orientation to an August 3 closing ceremony; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: Apply through Communities In Schools of Houston; 2027 deadlines aren't posted yet
Eligibility: Academically strong juniors and seniors at Houston high schools served by Communities In Schools

The Houston Bar Association and Communities In Schools of Houston run this eight-week paid internship at Houston law firms for students at schools CIS serves. The 2026 hosts included BakerHostetler, Blank Rome, Jones Day and Gibbs & Bruns, among 11 firms, and 16 lawyers served as mentors. Around the job, interns attend enrichment sessions and meet with their mentors through the summer. For a Houston student, it is the clearest route into a large national law firm before college.

Who it's best for: A Houston student at a Communities In Schools campus who wants a paid summer inside a major law firm.

7. Dallas Bar Association: Summer Law Intern Program

Location: Dallas, TX (in person)
Cost/Stipend: Free to join; pay isn't listed on the Dallas Bar's page
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, with Zoom interviews in April and May; cohort size isn't published
Dates: Summer 2026 ran June 8 to July 3, July 6 to July 31, or the full June 8 to July 31; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: April 1, 2026 (extended); the 2027 deadline isn't posted yet
Eligibility: Dallas ISD juniors with an 85 average or higher and no more than 10 absences

The Dallas Bar Association's Summer Law Intern Program places Dallas ISD juniors at law firms and corporate legal departments for four or eight weeks. You can choose the first session, the second or the full summer, and interns follow a learning curriculum alongside the job, with orientations, educational events and a closing reception. Interviews run over Zoom in April and May, after the spring deadline. The grade and attendance rules are among the strictest here, so check your average before you apply.

Who it's best for: A Dallas ISD junior with strong grades who wants to see how a law firm or company legal team works day to day.

8. Nashville Bar Association: High School Intern Summer Program

Location: Nashville, TN (law offices across Metro Nashville)
Cost/Stipend: Free to join; some placements are paid and some are unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size isn't published
Dates: June 1 to July 17, 2026, about six to eight hours a workday; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: March 27, 2026; the 2027 deadline isn't posted yet
Eligibility: For 2026, diverse students graduating in 2026 and rising seniors graduating in 2027

The Nashville Bar Association places diverse high school students in seven-week summer jobs at law firms, corporate legal departments and government law offices in Metro Nashville. Interns work six to eight hours a day and meet on Fridays for a Lunch and Learn series with local lawyers. Some placements pay and some don't, so ask which kind you've been matched with before you accept. Graduating seniors can apply as well as rising seniors, which gives a senior a summer of legal work right before college.

Who it's best for: A Nashville-area senior or rising senior who wants a summer at a law firm or a government law office.

9. Taft Law: High School Internship (Atlanta)

Location: Taft's Atlanta office, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: $300 for each completed week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; cohort size isn't published
Dates: June 1 to June 12, 2026, about 30 hours a week; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: April 15, 2026; the 2027 deadline isn't posted yet
Eligibility: Students who have finished 10th grade with at least a B average

Taft, a national law firm, runs this two-week internship in its Atlanta office, the only program here run directly by a law firm rather than a bar association, court or public office. The 30-hour weeks mix workshops, student presentations and project assignments, so you learn how a firm is organized while producing work of your own. Interns earn $300 for each completed week. The short format fits around other summer plans, and it is a low-risk way to find out whether firm life appeals to you.

Who it's best for: An Atlanta-area student with a B average who wants a short, paid look inside a large law firm.

10. Ladder Internships

Location: Remote, fully online
Cost/Stipend: $3,190 for the basic startup internship program, paid in two installments starting with a $200 deposit; full and partial financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10% for the Summer 2023 cohort, with 700 applicants for 70 spots
Dates: Four 8-week cohorts a year (spring, summer, fall and winter); the next winter cohort starts December 7, 2026
Application deadline: November 15, 2026 for the winter cohort
Eligibility: High school students who can commit about 5 to 10 hours a week; a separate program serves university and gap year students

Ladder Internships was founded by Harvard entrepreneurs and places high school students with startups for an 8-week remote project, in fields that include consulting, finance, nonprofit work, media and journalism, and software engineering. The projects aren't legal work, but they show how the companies that corporate lawyers advise make decisions. Ladder suggests a project based on each applicant's interests and interview, and the student has the final say on the match. You define the project with a company coach in week one, present a first deliverable in week four and present the finished project in week eight. Interns leave with a letter of completion from the host company, and students from families earning $50,000 or less a year can apply for full or partial financial aid.

Who it's best for: A student drawn to corporate law who wants to see how a startup runs from the inside, from anywhere, with no local program nearby.

Paid Law Internships

Paid law internships for high school students pay anywhere from a $250 stipend to $15 an hour, and most are run by bar associations and courts for students in one city or state, which makes them the closest thing to law jobs for high school students. The law firm and federal court programs above pay too, and our list of law internships in Atlanta has more options in Georgia.

11. Atlanta Bar Association: Summer Law Internship Program

Location: Atlanta, GA (employers inside the Perimeter, mostly downtown and Midtown)
Cost/Stipend: $2,000 for six weeks, about $333 a week, paid by the host employer or the Atlanta Bar Foundation
Acceptance rate/cohort size: More than 35 internships in 2026, and more than 980 students placed since the program began
Dates: Six weeks of work between May 27 and July 17, 2026; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: March 19, 2026; the 2027 deadline isn't posted yet
Eligibility: Georgia students in the classes of 2026 and 2027

The Atlanta Bar Association's Summer Law Internship Program, now in its 34th summer, places Georgia high school students in paid six-week jobs with legal employers around downtown and Midtown Atlanta. Interns earn $2,000 for the summer and attend weekly Wednesday evening sessions with progress tests. Each intern also writes a 750-word essay on a Supreme Court decision for the Terrence Croft Essay Competition, and the program holds an oralist competition. With more than 35 placements a year, it is one of the largest programs here.

Who it's best for: A Georgia junior or senior who wants a paid summer in law plus practice writing and arguing about Supreme Court cases.

12. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court: Judicial Youth Corps

Location: Courthouses in Boston, Worcester and Springfield, MA
Cost/Stipend: Paid; Springfield interns earned $15 an hour for 25 hours a week in 2026
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Small cohorts chosen by application, teacher recommendation and interview; Springfield funds six students
Dates: Six weeks in July and August 2026, with Springfield running July 6 to August 14, 2026; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: The 2026 application period has closed, and Springfield's deadline was April 10, 2026; 2027 deadlines aren't posted yet
Eligibility: Boston residents at Boston Public Schools, or students at a high school in Worcester or Springfield; grades 10 to 12, with juniors preferred in Springfield

The Judicial Youth Corps is run by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court and gives high school students paid summer jobs inside courthouses in Boston, Worcester and Springfield. Interns shadow judges and court staff four days a week and spend one day in paid educational sessions that include mock trials. The program selects students by application, teacher recommendation and interview, so ask a teacher early. Springfield's group is funded by the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and takes only six students.

Who it's best for: A Boston, Worcester or Springfield student who wants a paid summer job inside a working courthouse.

13. Maryland Youth & the Law: Law Links Internship

Location: Baltimore, MD (law firms and law-related agencies)
Cost/Stipend: $15 an hour, full-time
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size isn't published
Dates: Seven weeks full-time starting in late June 2027; exact dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: The 2027 application opens in December 2026
Eligibility: Sophomores and juniors at a Baltimore City public high school who live in the city

Maryland Youth & the Law's Law Links program places Baltimore City public school students in seven-week, full-time summer jobs at law firms and law-related agencies, paying $15 an hour. Interns also complete a 50-hour Law & Leadership Institute, which includes a two-and-a-half-day orientation and Wednesday morning sessions through the summer. The application for the next cycle opens in December, so sophomores and juniors can apply over the winter. It suits a student who wants a full-time paycheck and steady legal training at the same time.

Who it's best for: A Baltimore City sophomore or junior who wants a full-time, paid summer job in a law office.

14. Memphis Bar Association: Summer Law Internship Program

Location: Memphis and Shelby County, TN
Cost/Stipend: $500 stipend for 60 hours of work
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective, with a group interview; open to first-time participants only
Dates: June 1 to June 26, 2026, with a closing ceremony on July 10, 2026; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: March 27, 2026; the 2027 deadline isn't posted yet
Eligibility: Shelby County students in good standing who are rising sophomores, juniors or seniors

The Memphis Bar Association places Shelby County high school students in 60 hours of work at law firms, corporate legal departments and government agencies over four weeks in June. Applicants send a statement of interest and take part in a group interview, so practice speaking up in a group before you go. The program only takes students who haven't done it before, so each summer goes to a new group. With rising sophomores eligible, it is one of the earliest chances in Tennessee to work in a legal office.

Who it's best for: A Shelby County rising sophomore, junior or senior who wants a short paid introduction to legal work.

15. Louisiana State Bar Association: Suit Up for the Future

Location: Louisiana (law schools, courts and law offices)
Cost/Stipend: Free; a stipend of up to $250 on completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; decisions went out May 11, 2026, and cohort size isn't published
Dates: June 8 to June 26, 2026; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: May 4, 2026; the 2027 deadline isn't posted yet
Eligibility: Students entering 11th or 12th grade in fall 2026, and first-year college students

The Louisiana State Bar Association's Suit Up for the Future program combines a three-week legal institute with an internship. You attend a shortened law school session and tour law schools, the Louisiana Supreme Court and federal court buildings, then shadow lawyers at law offices, courts and agencies. Partners include the Louisiana Supreme Court, Just the Beginning and Louisiana's law schools. It is a good way to sample both law school and legal work in under a month.

Who it's best for: A Louisiana rising junior or senior who wants a taste of law school and legal work in one short summer.

Free Law Internships

Free law internships for high school students cost nothing to join and are usually unpaid volunteer roles at courts, prosecutor and public defender offices, and legal nonprofits, sometimes for school credit or service hours. If you're interested in criminology, the public defender and district attorney placements here show the criminal justice system from both sides, and our list of free law internships for high school students has more.

16. New York State Courts, 8th Judicial District: High School Internship

Location: Courts in eight Western New York counties, including Erie County (Buffalo) and Niagara County
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid volunteer position
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Cohort size isn't published
Dates: Three weeks in summer 2026, at least 24 hours a week; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: Erie County March 31, 2026; Niagara County April 30, 2026
Eligibility: High school students age 16 or older

New York's 8th Judicial District, which covers Buffalo and the surrounding Western New York counties, takes high school students for three-week summer internships with judges and chambers staff. You work at least 24 hours a week and take part in professional development sessions alongside the placement. Each county sets its own deadline, with Erie County closing first. Unlike most court programs here, it isn't tied to one school district, so any student 16 or older in the area can apply.

Who it's best for: A Western New York student 16 or older who wants to see how judges and their staff run a courtroom.

17. Richmond County District Attorney's Office: High School Summer Program

Location: Richmond County District Attorney's Office, Staten Island, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free to join; the office's page doesn't mention pay
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Cohort size isn't published
Dates: July 6 to August 5, 2027
Application deadline: The 2027 high school form is posted now, with no separate high school deadline listed, so apply early
Eligibility: Current high school students entering grades 10 to 12 (graduating eighth graders aren't eligible)

The Richmond County District Attorney's Office, Staten Island's prosecutor, runs a summer program for high school students alongside its college, graduate and law school internships. The high school session runs for a month, from July 6 to August 5, 2027, and students entering 10th, 11th or 12th grade can apply. You fill out the office's high school application form and then email an updated resume to its internship address. Hosting college and law students at the same time gives you a look at every step between high school and a job as a prosecutor.

Who it's best for: A New York City student entering 10th through 12th grade who wants an early look inside a prosecutor's office.

18. Broward County Public Defender: Summer Justice Program

Location: Broward County Public Defender's Office, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Cost/Stipend: Free; the page doesn't mention pay
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Cohort size isn't published
Dates: June 15 to June 26, 2026; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: Applications opened March 2 and closed May 1, 2026; 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Eligibility: Rising 10th graders, ages 15 to 18, at a Broward County high school with at least a 2.0 GPA

The Broward County Public Defender's Summer Justice Program gives rising 10th graders two weeks inside a public defender's office. You observe trials and hearings, tour the Crime Lab and sit in on sessions with crime scene investigators, so you see how evidence is built and challenged in a criminal case. The 2.0 GPA minimum makes it one of the most open programs here, and it is built for students just finishing ninth grade. If criminology or criminal defense interests you, it is an early way to test that interest.

Who it's best for: A Broward County ninth grader curious about criminal defense, forensics or criminology.

19. Metropolitan Nashville Public Defender's Office: Internships

Location: Metropolitan Nashville Public Defender's Office, Nashville, TN
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Cohort size isn't published
Dates: Spring 2027 and summer 2027 sessions; summer is full-time (40 hours a week) or part-time (8 to 12 hours a week)
Application deadline: December 1, 2026 for spring 2027; February 27, 2027 for summer 2027
Eligibility: Students 16 or older enrolled in high school; students under 18 need written parent or guardian permission

The Metropolitan Nashville Public Defender's Office takes high school students 16 and older as unpaid interns with its investigators, social services team and communications staff. You help with case support and office work, and you may get to shadow attorneys in court. Summer interns can work full-time or part-time, and spring and fall spots open when the office has room, so it can fit around a school year. It shows how much of a criminal defense happens outside the courtroom, from investigation to finding services for clients.

Who it's best for: A Nashville student 16 or older who wants to see how public defenders, investigators and social workers build a client's defense.

20. San Francisco Public Defender's Office: High School and College Internships

Location: San Francisco Public Defender's Office, San Francisco, CA
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid by the office; students 13 to 24 may qualify for a paid placement through the city's Opportunities for All program
Acceptance rate/cohort size: No resume or cover letter required; cohort size isn't published
Dates: Usually three-month sessions through the year, at least 8 hours a week
Application deadline: Usually rolling; the page lists no separate high school deadline, so apply through its Apply Now link
Eligibility: High school and college students considering law school or community-focused work

The San Francisco Public Defender's Office offers internships for high school and college students that are tailored to each student's interests. Interns commit at least 8 hours a week for three months, and the office's intern roles range from fact-gathering with investigators and record clearing through its Clean Slate Unit to policy and administrative work. The office doesn't pay, but students 13 to 24 may qualify for a paid placement through San Francisco's Opportunities for All program. No resume or cover letter is needed, which makes it an easy first application.

Who it's best for: A San Francisco student who wants a flexible, part-time look at public defense during the school year.

21. San Benito County Superior Court: Summer Court Internship

Location: San Benito County Superior Court, Hollister, CA (in person)
Cost/Stipend: Free to join; the court's page doesn't mention pay
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Cohort size isn't published
Dates: Summer 2026; the 2026 program has closed and 2027 dates aren't posted yet
Application deadline: The 2026 application has closed; the 2027 deadline isn't posted yet
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors, and enrolled college students, with an interest in law, the courts, public service, criminal justice or government

The San Benito County Superior Court in Hollister runs an in-person summer internship that shows students how a trial court works day to day. Interns rotate through court departments, sit in on live hearings and meet court staff, and they learn how cases move through the trial courts. A small county court lets you see the whole system in one building, from the clerk's office to the courtroom. The 2026 application has closed, so email the court's resource team to ask when the next one opens.

Who it's best for: A Central Coast junior or senior who wants to see every department of a courthouse in one summer.

22. CAIR-Chicago: Internships

Location: Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid; interns can count the time toward community service hours
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Cohort size isn't published
Dates: Usually three sessions a year: winter and spring (January 1 to May 15), summer (May 15 to August 31) and fall (September 1 to December 31)
Application deadline: Usually December 1 for winter and spring, April 15 for summer and August 1 for fall
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 to 12 who can commit at least 8 weeks at 10 or more hours a week

CAIR-Chicago, the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, is a civil rights organization that takes high school interns in all four grades. Departments include civil rights law clerk, communications, operations and outreach, so you can see how a legal team supports people who report discrimination. You commit at least 8 weeks at 10 or more hours a week, and the hours can count toward community service. With three sessions a year and ninth graders eligible, it is one of the easiest law-related placements to start early.

Who it's best for: A Chicago student in any grade who is interested in civil rights law and wants a placement during the school year.

Commonly Asked Questions About Law Internships for High School Students

1. Do law firms do internships for high school students?

Yes, though most law firm internships for high schoolers run through bar association programs, such as those in Dallas, Nashville and Houston, rather than through the firms themselves. Taft's Atlanta office is one firm that runs its own internship.

2. Can high schoolers intern with a real lawyer?

Yes. Court and law firm programs pair you with judges and attorneys, and public defender offices in Nashville and Broward County let interns watch lawyers in court. If no program is nearby, ask a local attorney whether you can shadow them.

3. What should I do in high school if I want to be a lawyer?

Take writing-heavy classes, join debate or mock trial, and look for a pre-law internship at a court or law office. To try legal research, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you with a Ph.D. mentor, and law is one of its subjects.

4. Are there online law internships for high school students?

Very few legal placements are fully online, since courts and law offices work in person. Ladder Internships offers remote startup projects, and our lists of online law internships and remote law internships cover more virtual options.