15 Online Summer Law Programs for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- Aug 7
- 11 min read
Online summer law programs for high school students can be a practical and affordable way to explore the legal field before committing to a college major. They provide an effective introduction to foundational legal concepts while also helping students develop communication, research, and critical thinking skills. Since a majority of these programs are hosted virtually, you get to experience college-level academics and professional exposure without relocating or spending heavily on travel and housing. Many also include virtual visits to legal institutions, guest lectures from attorneys, and opportunities to collaborate with peers on simulated legal challenges.
If you are seriously considering a future in law, participating in an online summer law program can provide much-needed clarity to help you choose a suitable career path and start developing a relevant network early on.
In this article, we've curated 15 programs that will give high schoolers an edge in their academic and professional journey with law. These are some of the most reputed online summer law programs for high school students, emphasizing selectivity, financial accessibility, and real-world learning.
1. Lumiere Research Scholar Program – Law Track
Acceptance: Selective
Location: Remote
Program Dates: Summer cohort: June – August | Fall, winter, and spring cohorts also available
Application Deadline: August 24 for the fall cohort
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.3 GPA
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program, founded by Harvard and Oxford researchers, offers high school students the opportunity to work one-on-one with a PhD mentor to develop an independent research project in their area of interest. You can choose your research topic in the application form, such as law, as well as a specific area of focus, such as criminal law, throughout your research experience! If selected, you’ll work closely with mentors to create a college-level research paper based on your project, with additional support from writing coaches.
During this period, you’ll engage in thorough research, participate in workshops, and gradually refine your work. By the end of the program, you will have a completed research paper attributed to your name and develop your critical thinking, academic writing, and research skills.
2. Ladder Internships - Law Track
Application Deadline: August 24 for the fall cohort
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks!
Ladder Internships offer you an opportunity to work with high-growth startups. Internships last 8 weeks and follow a coaching-plus-work model, not commonly found in similar programs. The program selects the best of the applicants and trains them to be paired with leaders who are passionate about nurturing young entrepreneurs. Ladder’s host companies are led by dynamic individuals, many of whom are alumni of prestigious institutions such as Harvard Business School. Many have raised substantial funding via top accelerators such as YCombinator and held designations at reputed companies like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.
In addition to your startup manager, a Ladder Coach will act as a second mentor and help you navigate the startup environment. During the internship, you will work on projects that will prepare you to conduct market research, competitive analysis, business operations with legal implications, or compile compliance documentation — all skills of great value to a law professional. The internship culminates in the creation of a project-linked deliverable that showcases your learnings.
Acceptance: Open enrollment
Location: Remote
Cost: $200
Program Dates: Self-paced program starts July 15 | Access lasts for 1 year
Application Deadline: July 11
Eligibility: Open to all learners
Zero-L is an asynchronous online course developed by Harvard Law School to introduce you to the core principles of the U.S. legal system. You’ll work through modules that cover how to read legal cases, understand precedent, analyze statutes, and navigate the federal and state court systems.
The course is structured around short video lectures and comprehension checks, making it manageable and self-paced. You’ll also get a preview of standard first-year law school subjects like criminal law and torts, and learn how legal reasoning differs from emotional or opinion-based arguments. Designed by Harvard Law faculty, the program is used by incoming law students across the country and is a great value-add for those curious about U.S. law.
Acceptance: Open enrollment
Location: Remote
Cost: $1,795; need-based scholarships available
Program Dates: July 6 – July 13 | July 6 – July 20 | July 6 – August 3 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: June 29 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: 13 years or older
In this self-paced course, you'll learn to gather, evaluate, and use evidence to form fact-based arguments like a skilled attorney would. The course guides you through a study of real legal cases such as the Lululemon murder case, explaining the practical applications of legal instruments such as plea bargains, right to appeal, etc The curriculum is centered on skills like evidence analysis, ethical reasoning, and argumentative writing. It culminates in a capstone project, where you play the role of a judge in a mock case, submitting a written ruling based on presented evidence and testimony.
Mentors, many of whom are Georgetown Law students or legal professionals, will guide you through the experience by offering feedback and answering questions. Most importantly, this course will help you assess whether a legal career aligns with your interests and strengths.
Acceptance: Selective | Limited space with rolling admissions
Location: UCLA, Los Angeles, CA | Also available virtually
Cost: $1,288 + ~$460 in additional fees | Need-and-merit-based scholarship available for CA students in grades 9 – 11
Program Dates: August 3 – August 9
Application Deadline: July 25
Eligibility: 15 years or older on June 23 for the virtual/ commuter programs and at least 17 years for the residential program | In grades 9 – 12 in Spring | Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 from grade 9 to the present
This immersive one-week program introduces you to the fundamentals of the U.S. legal system and of trial advocacy. Applicants do not need prior mock trial or legal experience. The course offers hands-on practice in making opening and closing statements, direct and cross-examinations, evidentiary objections, understanding courtroom procedure, etc., and even includes a visit to observe the Los Angeles Superior Court in session. The National Champion UCLA Mock Trial Team coach and team members will work closely to help you develop skills for oral presentation, quick thinking, and legal analysis. The course concludes with a full mock trial simulation based on a felony criminal case.
Acceptance: Rolling applications | Preference for students from Appalachian Ohio
Location: Virtual (Week 1); Athens, OH (Week 2)
Cost: Free
Program Dates: July 7–July 18 (virtual: July 7–11, in-person: July 13–18)
Application Deadline: May 31 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High-achieving juniors and seniors from Appalachian Ohio preferred; other outstanding high-schoolers and sophomores will be considered if space permits | Minimum 3.0 GPA preferred
This two-week program introduces you to the legal system through both academic and practical experiences. During the first week, you will attend daily online sessions focused on legal reasoning, case analysis, negotiation, and public speaking. The coursework exposes students to the criminal justice system and prevalent law and justice issues. In the second week, you visit the Ohio University campus to participate in a mock trial in front of a real judge, visit courts and legal organizations, observe a case being argued in the Ohio Supreme Court, and meet Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner. To further help you understand how you can build and excel at a career in law, the program allows you to network with attorneys, judges, and law and pre-law students.
Acceptance: Selective | National cohort (cohort size not published)
Location: Remote with one in-person event in Washington, D.C. (travel covered)
Cost: Free | Financial stipend provided per engagement
Program Dates: Two-year commitment; next in-person event projected April 24–26
Application Deadline: Closed for the 2024–26 cohort; next cycle TBD
Eligibility: 13 – 21 years old | Must identify as LGBTQ+ and reside in the U.S. | Parental consent required if under 18
As a Youth Ambassador with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, you’ll serve as a public advocate for LGBTQ+ youth, using your personal story to help raise awareness about key issues like access to affirming care, school discrimination, and community support. Over a two-year term, you’ll contribute to HRC’s national initiatives, including campaigns such as Welcoming Schools and Time to THRIVE, and may speak on panels, webinars, or at events. You will receive media and public speaking training, along with professional mentorship from HRC staff. All engagements, whether written, recorded, or live, are compensated, and travel for official events is fully covered. The program prioritizes youth with direct experiences related to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation or those who are marginalized.
Acceptance: Open enrollment with limited seats
Location: Remote
Cost: $100 non-refundable deposit + $1,004 per course
Program Dates: June 16 – July 11 | June 23 – July 18
Application Deadline: January 26 (Priority) | March 16 (Regular) | May 18 or until full (Final)
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA
This is a virtual, self-paced college course. Though it covers a range of topics and is not law-exclusive, it includes pertinent subjects such as international diplomacy and cross-cultural negotiations, justice reform psychology, etc. The content is taught over four weeks in a flexible, asynchronous manner via pre-recorded lectures, podcasts, documentaries, or faculty-led discussion boards, and complemented by reading materials and assignments. You can also connect with the AU faculty via the Canvas platform, as well as through Zoom or Skype, based on their availability during office hours.
On completion of the program, you receive an official transcript for one college credit and experience a college-level workload.
Acceptance: Open enrollment
Location: Remote
Cost: $1,495 | Need-based scholarships available
Program Dates: Multi-length courses throughout the year | Next available course August 3 – August 17
Application Deadline: July 27 for the next available course
Eligibility: 13 years or older
This course explores constitutional law through an academic lens, delving into legal interpretation of the Constitution, case law, the judiciary's role in the U.S. government, and the interpretation of Constitutional rights. You will study foundational documents like the Bill of Rights, landmark Supreme Court cases, and the dynamic between federal and state governments.
The course is led by William & Mary faculty and includes flexible scheduling through self-paced video lectures and activities. Mentors support you through writing assignments and concept reviews. The course culminates in a final project where you role-play a Supreme Court judge and interpret the outcome of a Supreme Court case that addresses religious liberties.
Acceptance: Maximum of 6 students per batch | Competitive enrollment
Location: Remote
Cost: $2,395
Program Dates: July 5–July 26; Saturdays only (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: Rolling; open until full
Eligibility: 15 – 18 years old
The four-week World Scholars Academy offers the experience of working in a small group to research contemporary legal themes such as jurisprudence, political economy, antitrust, and government censorship and explore the death penalty debate through case studies, international legal frameworks, and ethical analysis. Working with a maximum of five peers, you will co-author a research paper under the guidance of a legal expert. Your work will be submitted for publication in World Scholars Review or another academic outlet.
The experience encourages independent legal research, writing, and critical thinking, allowing you to engage with law before you commit to an undergraduate degree. You will also receive a certificate and an opportunity to enter your work in a competitive review award contest.
Acceptance: Selective
Location: Remote and/or in-person (Washington, DC)
Cost: Free
Program Dates: June 23 – July 17 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis until closed
Eligibility: High school students | 16 years or older | U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or visa holders
This four-week hybrid internship gives you the chance to work directly with the Library of Congress on youth-centered projects, either virtually or through limited onsite engagement. As a teen advisor, you will contribute feedback on public programs and help shape content for the opening of a new experiential learning space. You will also conduct research using LOC collections, assist in exhibition development, and help design family and teen-focused educational programming.
The experience includes daily training and workshops, and offers insight into how major public institutions develop exhibits and outreach materials. While unpaid, the internship can fulfill community service or academic internship requirements through your school.
Acceptance: Open enrollment
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,495 | Need-based scholarships available
Program Dates: August 3 – August 17
Application Deadline: July 27
Eligibility: 13 years or older
This online course offers a practical introduction to criminal law by walking you through the full legal process — from the moment a crime occurs to conviction, sentencing, or appeal. Mentorship is built into the course, with structured feedback to support your learning. Lessons explore the anatomy of a criminal case, decoding legal procedures such as search and seizure, motions to suppress evidence, and direct versus cross-examinations, using real-world case studies and simulations.
As part of the curriculum, you will explore the role of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, and analyze how evidence and constitutional protections affect trial outcomes. The program ends with a final project where you issue an appellate court opinion on a studied case.
Acceptance: Open enrollment
Location: Remote
Cost: $1,495 | Need-based scholarships available
Program Dates: July 6 – August 3
Application Deadline: June 29
Eligibility: 13 years or older
This self-paced online course helps you explore how legal professionals think, argue, and interpret complex issues across different areas of law, using the IRAC method. You'll examine the differentiators of the U.S. legal system, the shifts in the legal landscape from the perspective of sports law, the functioning of intellectual property law, and global differences in constitutional rights. The course includes simulations and case comparisons on topics such as drug possession and search and seizure, and it culminates in a capstone project where you examine the different interpretations of law by comparing two court cases. With guidance from mentors and asynchronous video lessons, this course will help you build foundational legal reasoning skills that apply to a wide range of fields.
14. Columbia University Pre-College Programs – Law
Acceptance: Selective, based on academic achievement and application materials
Location: Remote | Columbia University, Morningside Heights, NYC
Cost: $3,965 for the 2-week session | $2,815 for the 1-week session
Program Dates: July 21–August 1 | August 11 – August 15
Application Deadline: Rolling | Early application recommended
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 – 12
Columbia’s Pre-College Program offers several law-focused courses online during the summer, allowing you to explore legal reasoning, constitutional issues, human rights, and legal careers. In the course titled Legal Reasoning: Thinking Like a Lawyer, interactive sessions with practising lawyers will help you examine the process of building persuasive arguments by using tools of legal reasoning and research. The Supreme Court and Major Topics in U.S. Law introduces you to constitutional interpretation and landmark rulings. Other law-related offerings include courses on forensic psychology, careers in law, and international human rights, with each designed to build foundational knowledge in both U.S. and global legal systems. These courses are academically rigorous and taught by Columbia-affiliated instructors in a highly structured format.
15. Harvard Summer School – Law
Acceptance: Selective
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Cost: $5,800 per session + $75 application fee | Limited need-based financial aid available
Program Dates: July 20–August 1
Application Deadline: January 8 for early applicants | February 12 for regular applicants | April 9 or until full for final applicants (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors | 16 years or older by June 21 and under 19 years by July 31
Harvard’s Pre-College Program offers high school students the opportunity to live on campus and take an intensive, non-credit law course over two weeks. The program features small class sizes, daily instruction, and a college-style academic experience. Courses vary and may include subjects such as: an Introduction to American Law, Constitutional Law, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Law and Social Change. The coursework will help you better understand the structure of the U.S. legal system, constitutional interpretation, civil rights, and legal theory, all while engaging in college-level discussions with Harvard-affiliated instructors. Though these courses are not credit-bearing, students receive a written evaluation and transcript upon completion.
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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