5 Legal Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
- Estelle Reardon
- Feb 6
- 6 min read
Topics We Cover:
The field of law offers a variety of exciting careers, from serving as an attorney or judge to roles in policy, lobbying, or other positions in politics. Whatever path you’re interested in, legal internships for high school students in Los Angeles can be an important first step for Southern California teens.
Why Do Internships in High School?
Engaging in legal internships for high school students in Los Angeles—and high school internships in general—provides a host of benefits. One advantage offered by high school internships is that they can significantly increase your chances of acceptance at a top school.
Consider that PRISM, a student-run consultancy at the University of Chicago, found that almost three-quarters of students accepted to U.S. News Top 50 universities completed at least one internship during their high school years.
Participating in a high school internship demonstrates to colleges that you’re motivated to follow your interests outside of the classroom, have confirmed your interest in a field with real-world experience, and have begun building the skills and network needed for success.
High school legal internships also make it easier to secure internships in college and gain admission to pre-professional groups and societies, such as pre-law societies, debate teams, and advocacy groups.
How to Find Legal Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
StandOutSearch and other online search tools and lists are a great place to start your internship search. StandOutSearch is particularly notable—it’s the largest free online database of internships for high school students and is searchable using a number of filters. MIT Admissions also curates a list of summer programs and internships, which many students have found helpful.
The difficulty with official internships is that they’re commonly very competitive. Consequently, we recommend that students serious about landing an internship form a cold outreach plan—a strategy for contacting potential internship providers to inquire about opportunities.
Cold outreach can be stressful! But the guide and templates below should make the process significantly more straightforward and less intimidating.
5 Legal Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
Most legal internships for high school students in LA admit fewer than one in five applicants. We recommend lining up at least five internship options to give yourself a solid shot at landing a position.
If an opportunity catches your eye, jot the deadline down right away so it doesn’t slip past you.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect links high‑achieving high school students with remote internship opportunities tailored to their career interests, spanning fields such as law, business, science, technology, the arts, and more.
The program is powered by StandOutSearch, the nation’s largest free internship database for teens. It has been highlighted in Forbes and was developed with support from the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Deadline: Contact for deadline
Volunteers get an up-close look at the criminal justice system in this exciting internship. Participants work with all manner of personnel, from deputy district attorneys to investigators to support staff. They also connect with court employees and law enforcement members.
High school volunteers typically assist with duties like:
Scanning, photocopying, and shredding documents
Answering phones
Filing
Assembling reports
Ages: Sophomores and Juniors
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 28
This program is aimed at students from the LA area who will be the first in their families to attend college. Participants engage in interactive seminars, build workforce readiness and skills like critical thinking, and conclude with a paid internship at a law firm, corporation, government agency, or nonprofit.
Participants also receive college support, explore career paths, engage in civic activities, and grow their network of professionals.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Varies
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: Varies
This internship program exposes high school students to careers in the federal government. Participants assist with a variety of tasks, including staffing, performance evaluation, leave administration, and employee compensation. Through the program, students develop analytical, problem-solving, teamwork, written, and oral communication skills, while gaining firsthand experience in the Department of Justice.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: Rolling
Participants in the Los Angeles County Student Election Worker Program get a close-up look at the democratic process while serving their community and earning a stipend. There’s even a bonus for bilingual workers who speak these languages:
Armenian
Bengali
Burmese
Chinese
Farsi
Gujarati
Hindi
Indonesian
Japanese
Khmer/Cambodian
Korean
Mongolian
Russian
Spanish
Tagalog/Filipino
Telugu
Thai
Vietnamese
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Legal InternshipsÂ
The internships listed above are great opportunities, but if none of them feel like the right fit for you, you’re going to want to launch a cold outreach strategy. Below you’ll find a guide and templates that streamline the process and help ease the anxiety many feel from putting themselves out there in search of an internship.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School InternshipÂ
LinkedIn is a proven source of potential high school internship opportunities. Look for small firms or nonprofits, which often need extra support, where you can help with tasks such as answering phones, data entry, filing, or assisting with research.
When reaching out to professionals, try to establish a personal connection—such as a shared passion for a cause or area of law, a common background (such as the same hometown), or mutual interests like a hobby or sports team.
Use caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know. Opt for virtual meetings and interviews, which are safer than in-person get-togethers.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research PositionÂ
Online university faculty pages are a useful place to find professors who might be open to taking on a high school researcher. Keep in mind that remote roles with faculty members are uncommon, as most professors rely on high school interns for hands-on lab support, which can’t be done from home.
One notable exception is computational research, where the work happens entirely on a computer. These projects usually require a basic familiarity with Python or R for data processing. It’s possible to learn both languages on your own, for free, within a couple of months through courses like Coursera’s Python for Everybody and R Programming courses.
How to Structure and Send Outreach EmailsÂ
We recommend sending at least 50 emails to potential internship providers. When reaching out, be sure to include a Google link to your resume. Links are preferable to PDFs or Docs, which can trigger spam filters—just remember to set the sharing permissions so anyone with the link can view it.
A strong resume can make the difference between landing a position and continuing your search. While most high schoolers’ work history is limited, a great presentation can pay off. Our resume template and tips are a great resource for high schoolers working on crafting an attention-grabbing resume. The University of Chicago’s resume toolkit is another helpful reference.
If you have any relevant experience, make sure to include it. Administrative skills, customer service experience, and volunteer work with nonprofits, community organizations, or advocacy groups are all worth spotlighting.
Email Template for Finding a High School InternshipÂ
If you are unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can customize to your needs.Â
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I read about your company on LinkedIn and found the concept quite interesting. For context, [briefly state how the company relates to your interests or experience].Â
I was wondering if you might be looking for interns. I know I would have a great deal to learn from working with you, and I would love to contribute in any way I can. I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,Â
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I recently read your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was quite intrigued by [part you found interesting]. I was wondering if I might be able to intern for you over this summer. [Elaborate on your relevant skills and experience and why you are passionate about the field].Â
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!Â
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Sticking with your internship search is essential, whether you’re aiming for well‑known legal programs in Los Angeles or reaching out directly to attorneys and organizations. These positions are often tough to secure, but many students feel the effort pays off—allowing them to gain early exposure to the field.
If this guide was useful, bookmark it or pass it along to someone else exploring internships. Here’s to success in your internship search!