Law Internships For High School Students: High school students willing to explore career opportunities in the legal profession can be offered law internships to work with law firms.
While some are lucky enough to earn money while they learn, those who engage in unpaid internships are often offered academic credits.
However, it is important to know that students who do internships have an edge when applying to colleges and have more knowledge of the profession.
This article will discuss what an internship is, why it is good for students to do internships, some top law internships for high school students, and some tips on how students can make the most of internship opportunities.
What is an internship?
An internship is a short-term professional experience offered by organizations or companies to students to give them practical, entry-level exposure and meaningful work associated with their field of study or career interest.
Through internships, students obtain career development and exploration opportunities, as well as hone new skills.
Interns get to bring fresh ideas and energy to the workplace, work on projects, develop their talents and skills, make industry connections, and can even lead to full-time jobs for them.
Why Apply For Law internships for High School Students?Â
You have to bolster your resume right from high school if you aspire to become a lawyer. One of the ways to do this is by engaging in a law internship.
This is important because most colleges consider the demonstrated interest you have shown so far in the field when processing your admission application to their law degree.
An internship is the perfect way to prove your commitment to the legal profession.
Also, enrolling in a law internship before high school will enable you to develop valuable relationships with professionals and help you discover the area of law that will suit you.
Read on to find out the law internships for high school students.
9 Law Internships for High School Students
1. The DOI Pathways Program
The DOI Pathways Program is a law internship for high school students. The U.S. Department of the Interior puts together this program.
It is open to both active high school students and fresh high school graduates. Students are posted to a particular company according to their professional aspirations.
The DOI Pathways Program interns get to understand the public and environmental policy. Occasionally, interns who do well in the program are offered a job.
The duration and deadline for the DOI Pathways Program are not fixed.
2. Passport to Work Youth Employment Services Program
Passport to Work Youth Employment Services Program is an internship opportunity that the District of Columbia Courts organizes. It is open to high school students that are residing in D.C.
This program is ideal for students that want to pursue a career in the legal industry.
Participants engage in seminars that enable them to develop the skills they need to succeed in the legal profession, such as time management and communication skills.
Throughout the internship, students work alongside legal professionals, which enables them to develop firsthand knowledge of the responsibilities of a legal career.
However, they perform mainly clerical tasks during the internship.
3. NYU High School Law Institute
NYU High School Law Institute is a law internship for high school students. It is open to high school students that want to pursue a career in the legal industry.
Students that get into the NYU High School Law Institute internship program learn about the following areas of law; constitutional law, criminal law, moot court, and others.
Participants also take a series of classes that help to boost their people skills.
Furthermore, NYU High School Law Institute engages its interns in moot and mock court competitions towards the end of the program.
This very impactful program runs twice a year, with the first session between September and November and the second between January and February.
4. Constitutional Rights Foundation’s Expanding Horizons Institute
Constitutional Rights Foundation’s Expanding Horizons Institute internship program is another option that high school students looking to pursue a career in law should consider.
The Constitutional Rights Foundation puts together this program.
In addition to grooming students to achieve an excellent SAT scores and furnishing them with helpful pre-college counseling, this program enables students have a feel of what the legal profession is about.
Participants also get to link up with professionals that will mentor them professionally.
The Constitutional Rights Foundation’s Expanding Horizons Institute program runs between April and August.
5. California Innocence Project Legal Internship
California Innocence Project Legal Internship is a program that is open to those that want to specialize in criminal law.
It is open to high school students who can devote 15 to 35 hours of their time per week to the program.
The California Innocence Project Legal Internship holds at their San Diego office. There are three different program options; summer, fall, and spring, and students can make their pick.
The summer option of the program is suitable for high school students.
The deadline for applying to the summer, fall, and spring sessions of the California Innocence Project Legal Internship is March 1, July 1, and November 1, respectively.
6. Internship with Congresswoman Lucy McBath
The opportunity to intern under a government official is one of the best things to ever happen to any aspiring lawyer.
Under such settings, this program offers students in-depth knowledge of public policy development and implementation, which is valuable for anyone wanting to venture into politics.
The Congresswoman Lucy McBath Internship provides both full-time and part-time internship options, and their program location is in Washington, D.C.
This internship has three session options; Fall, Spring, and Summer.
Participants will have the rare privilege of attending hearings and briefs. They also acquire research experience and learn how to draft written materials.
Congresswoman Lucy McBath interns are placed under stipends.
7. State Bar Association of North Dakota High School Mock Trial Program
The State Bar Association of North Dakota High School Mock Trial Program is another excellent opportunity to acquire entry-level experience for students looking to enter the legal industry.
Interning at a bar association will expose a student to the daily experiences of being a lawyer and how challenges are navigated and subdued.
This internship the North Dakota State Bar put together for high school students is rich and impactful. Students learn about the American legal system and obtain knowledge of the trial process.
Also, State Bar Association of North Dakota High School Mock Trial Program participants engage in training routines that equip them with excellent critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills.
These skills are valuable for succeeding in any professional setting. This program is open to students from all over the United States.
The deadline for applying to the State Bar Association of North Dakota High School Mock Trial Program is January 9.
8. National Youth Leadership Forum: Law & CSI
The National Youth Leadership Forum: Law & CSI program is a law internship for high school students.
It is an excellent learning window for high school students who want to specialize in law or criminal science investigation practice.
Interns can observe proceedings in the law court and engage in mock trial sessions in a standard court setting.
Participants also enjoy the privilege of interacting with legal professionals and understanding what the legal industry entails.
However, the National Youth Leadership Forum: Law & CSI program is open to only students that can afford the tuition fee of between $3,045 and $3,245. This program lasts for six days only.
9. National Student Leadership Conference’s Law & Advocacy Program
National Student Leadership Conference’s Law & Advocacy Program is open to high school seniors.
This program which lasts for nine days exposes students to the legal profession, which can impact their decision to enroll in a law degree program at college or settle for another program entirely.
National Student Leadership Conference’s Law & Advocacy Program runs between June and early August. It holds at both Georgetown University and Yale University.
Furthermore, students participating in this program understand how criminal trials are held through the mock court sessions they engage in.
Also, they are taken on a field trip to a law school, and they also get to interact with legal professionals.
The National Student Leadership Conference’s Law & Advocacy Program is only open to students that can afford its hefty tuition fee. However, it is perfect for any student that wants to embark on a legal career.
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How to make the most of internship programs in High School
Internships offer students great opportunities to explore a career field, gain employable skills and experience, and eventually become employed by a company full-time upon graduating.
However, here are a few tips for excelling and making the most of professional experience:
1. Set goals:
Students are advised to meet their supervisors at the start of their internship program to find out their expectations.
Interns should also seek feedback from their supervisors to ensure they are on the right track.
Interns are expected to set their own goals of what they intend to achieve from the internship and what they would like to learn.
They should always talk about their interests with their supervisors to find out if there are opportunities to explore those areas.
2. Stay organized:Â
Interns should keep schedules and to-do lists in order to meet deadlines and tasks. Workspaces should be kept tidy and organized.
Organizational files should always be filed or kept in accordance with the organization’s standards.
3. Stay professional:Â
Interns should always be professional and follow the rules so that their coworkers and supervisor see them in a good light.
4. Educate themselves:Â
Students should learn a variety of things during their internships. They should always seek knowledge about the field they are involved in and the job opportunities within it.
The aim of the students should be to understand the company completely. With their future in mind, they should decide whether they want to work for the company where they interned or somewhere else.
The knowledge gained in internships will guide students in determining the kind of future they would like for themselves.
5. Get a mentor and form connections with your peers:
Interns should form connections with their fellow interns and socialize at all times.
Interns should find mentors as well, who can advise them on their career path, help them make connections that will help them in the future, and write recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Law Internships For High School Students
To aid the attorneys working on a case, legal interns can research relevant cases, statutes, and other legal literature and produce memoranda that outline the law’s position on the issues at hand.
Interning can improve your learning and networking opportunities, and it can also increase your chances of finding a job once you graduate from law school. As most law firms won’t hire recent law school graduates without internship experience, this is beyond dispute.
Internships provide an exciting opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and get experience in a new environment. Internships are a great way to network and meet influential people in the legal industry, whether they are your peers with similar interests or senior practitioners with years of experience.
If you haven’t already done so, start researching potential law firms several months in advance. Put your updated resume and a brief cover letter in an exploratory email and send it out.
Anyone that wants to become a lawyer will learn a lot if they intern at government agencies, NGOs, and law firms.
The internship is not a core requirement for admission into law school. Instead, it can improve a student’s law school admission chance.
ConclusionÂ
If you are serious about entering the legal field, you should participate in a law internship.
This is because participating in such activity will give you a taste of what it is like to work in the legal field, assist you in deciding which area of law you wish to specialize in and expand your circle of professional contacts.
A law internship will also help you gain valuable experience in the field, look great on your CV, and increase your odds of being accepted into the university of your choice.
While it is excellent that this post offers a list of 9 law internships for high school students, other great options for high school students include the Atlanta Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program (SLIP), the Senate Page Program, and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office Undergrad/High School Internship.
More so, high school students who have a love and passion for law can enroll in law internship programs to gain theoretical and practical knowledge about the field.
There are a number of amazing internship opportunities available to groom these students in their chosen field of law. These internship opportunities could be paid or unpaid.
However, to get into these programs, students need to be at their best as these programs are highly competitive.
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