11 Online Law Pre-College Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 7 hours ago
- 8 min read
If you are a high school student looking to boost your profile before applying to a college and gain advanced experience in a field, a pre-college may be a great choice! Not only do these programs help demonstrate your skills and ability to work well in an advanced setting, but also add to your practical knowledge in a particular field!
Along the way, you’ll also work with legal professionals, work on independent research, and get familiar with different branches of law. Whether you’re considering a degree or a career as a lawyer, policy analyst, or legal researcher, this early experience gives you a head start in building the skills needed in these fields.
To make it easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of 10 online law pre-college programs for high school students!
11 Online Law Pre-College Programs for High School Students
Location: VirtualÂ
Application Deadline: April 2
Program Dates: Multiple 1–3 week sessions available throughout the summer. Session A - 2 Weeks: July 7–July 18; Session B - 2 Weeks: July 21–August 1; Session C - 1 Week: August 11–August 15
Cost: 1-Week: $2,810 per session and 2-Week: $3,960 per session (single course registration) plus a non-refundable deposit of $1000.
Eligibility: Open to high school students entering grades 9–12 or first-year college students.
Columbia University Online Summer Immersion Program allows high school students to build practical skills while exploring specialized academic fields like law, business, and technology. In the law-focused courses, you will draft legal briefs, analyze landmark cases, or debate constitutional issues.Â
You’ll work on group projects that mirror real-world legal challenges, developing skills like legal writing, argumentation, and policy analysis. This program also helps you understand how the legal system connects with fields like ethics, governance, and technology.
Location: Remote — you can participate in this program from anywhere in the world!
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Application Deadline: Varying deadlines based on cohort.
Program Dates: Varies by cohort: summer, fall, winter, or spring. Options range from 12 weeks to 1 year.
Eligibility: You must be currently enrolled in high school and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement.
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is a rigorous research program tailored for high school students. The program offers extensive 1-on-1 research opportunities for high school students across a broad range of subject areas that you can explore as a high schooler. The program pairs high school students with Ph.D. mentors to work 1-on-1 on an independent research project. At the end of the 12-week program, you’ll have developed an independent research paper! You can choose research topics from subjects such as psychology, physics, economics, data science, computer science, engineering, chemistry, international relations, and more. You can find more details about the application here.
Location: Online
Application Deadline: March 23, April 6 and April 27
Program Dates: March 30-April 27; April 13-April 27; May 4-June 1
Cost: $1,795
Eligibility: Open to students ages 13 and up.
Georgetown University’s Pre-College Online Law Program gives high school students a practical introduction to legal systems and career paths like lawyer, judge, paralegal, and law clerk. You’ll work on real-world legal challenges, analyzing evidence, building fact-based arguments, and exploring the ethical dimensions of legal decisions.
A highlight of the program is the capstone project, where you step into the role of a judge. You’ll assess real and fictional legal cases, weigh evidence, and deliver a court opinion, applying the legal principles you’ve learned in a real-world context. This program also sharpens your legal writing and argumentation skills.
Location: VirtualÂ
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer and Fall cohorts.Â
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! A few tracks require prerequisites, see here.Â
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects.Â
Location: OnlineÂ
Application Deadline: March 28
Program Dates: June 16 – June 27 and July 7 – July 18
Cost: $3,050; Financial aid is available.
Eligibility: Open to students in grades 9–11 at the time of applying.
Stanford’s Pre-College Legal Studies Course helps high school students build essential skills for legal practice, like critical thinking, argumentation, and evidence analysis. You’ll learn to spot flaws in reasoning, weigh complex facts, and anticipate counterarguments, key abilities for any future lawyer. The program also features hands-on activities like debates, role-playing, and group projects, culminating in a mock trial where you’ll step into the role of an attorney or witness.Â
Location: OnlineÂ
Application Deadline: March 23, April 27 and May 11
Program Dates: March 30 — April 27; May 4 — June 1 and May 18 — June 1
Cost: $1,495
Eligibility: Open to students ages 13 and up.
Rice University’s Pre-College Law Course gives high school students a chance to explore how legal systems shape society and address real-world challenges. You’ll explore the foundational principles of law, focusing on its societal impact and ethical dimensions, while examining issues like property rights, employment laws, and education equity.
The program’s Capstone Project puts you in the role of a legal task force member. You’ll identify three interconnected societal challenges and propose legal strategies to solve them, developing skills in policy analysis, ethical reasoning, and strategic thinking.
Location: OnlineÂ
Application Deadlines:May 11; June 1; June 15
Program Dates: May 18-June 15; June 8-June 22; June 22-July 6
Cost: $1,495
Eligibility: Open to students ages 13 and up.
William and Mary’s Pre-College Online Constitutional Law Course gives high school students a chance to explore the foundations of the U.S. Constitution and how it shapes legal practice. You’ll learn how lawyers and judges interpret constitutional rights, argue cases, and navigate debates on state and federal power.
One of the program’s key features is the Final Project, where you’ll analyze a real Supreme Court case on religious liberties. Acting as a Supreme Court justice, you’ll review precedent cases, choose a constitutional interpretation, and justify your legal decision. Taught by constitutional scholars and law professors, this course covers critical topics like the Bill of Rights, constitutional ratification, and the judiciary’s role in shaping U.S. law.
Location: OnlineÂ
Application Deadline: Applications open on December 1 and will admit students on a rolling basisÂ
Program Dates: May 16 – August 5
Cost: $948.30 per credit hour for 1–5 credit hours, plus a $60 application fee.
Eligibility: Open to high school students (16+), with preference for those with a GPA of 3.3+ and completion of sophomore year and college preparatory coursework.
Purdue University’s Introduction to International Relations Course offers high school students practical exposure to global politics, international law, and diplomacy. This four-week, credit-bearing online course helps you develop skills in policy analysis, legal research, and strategic decision-making while studying how international organizations address global challenges.
Throughout the course, you’ll work on projects like analyzing diplomatic negotiations, evaluating legal frameworks, and proposing solutions to international conflicts. You’ll participate in discussions, case studies, and projects, building your critical thinking, communication, and research abilities. The program also features mentorship from Purdue faculty, guiding your academic and professional development. Upon completion, you’ll earn college credit from Purdue University.
Location: Online
Application Deadline: March 23, April 6, and April 27
Program Dates: March 30-April 27; April 13-April 27, and May 4-June 1.
Cost: $1,495
Eligibility: Open to students ages 13 and up.
Notre Dame’s Thinking Like a Lawyer Course offers a hands-on approach to understanding legal analysis and reasoning. This program teaches you the IRAC (Issue, Rule, Application, and Conclusion) method, a key framework used by legal professionals to assess and resolve legal questions. You’ll explore topics like international law, sports law, and intellectual property rights, building practical skills in legal research, argument development, and case evaluation.
As part of the program, you’ll work on real-world projects that include analyzing legal disputes, assessing constitutional issues, and interpreting judicial decisions. The course culminates in a Capstone Project, where you’ll evaluate a complex drug possession case, weighing the constitutionality of police search and seizure practices and comparing court rulings.
Location: Online
Application Deadline: 4-Week Program: Feb 12; 7-Week Program: Apr 9
Program Dates: 4-Week Program Dates: July 13 – August 9; 7-Week Program Dates: June 21 – August 9Â
Cost: $3,700 (4-credit courses) or $7,400 (8-credit courses) plus a $75 nonrefundable application fee. Financial aid is available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Eligibility: Students must be at least 16 years old by June 21 and not turn 19 before July 31.
Harvard’s Secondary School Program (SSP) offers a seven-week academic experience where you can take college-level courses in various subjects, including law. While the upcoming course catalog isn’t out yet, past law-related offerings like Law in War have focused on how legal systems regulate armed conflict and address issues like crimes against humanity.Â
You’ll also work with real statutes, treaties, and case law, applying legal theories to contemporary issues like the role of artificial intelligence in warfare. In addition to graded coursework and earning college credits, SSP provides opportunities to engage in virtual community-building activities and skill-building workshops.
Location: Online – accessible globally.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: July 28 – August 8.
Cost: $2,795.
Eligibility: Open to students ages 15–18.
World Scholars Academy’s World Lawyers Academy is a two-week online program where you’ll learn about the legal field through real-world practice. Taught by a PhD candidate in law from the University of Oxford, this course covers legal ethics, human rights, commercial law, and the history of legal systems.
You’ll take part in case studies, legal writing exercises, and debates on real-world legal issues. The program wraps up with a mock trial challenge, where you’ll step into the role of a lawyer or judge and apply what you’ve learned in a courtroom simulation. With small class sizes capped at six students, you’ll get personalized mentorship and one-on-one feedback. You’ll also get a certificate of completion and a letter of recommendation.Â
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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