Topics We Cover:
- Why Do Internships in High School?
- How to Find Legal Internships for High School Students in San Francisco
- 7 Legal Internships for High School Students in San Francisco
- Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
- Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
Legal internships for high school students in San Francisco are a fantastic opportunity for Bay Area teens to kickstart a career in law. High school internships allow students to explore potential career paths while building hard and soft skills that will serve them in both their academic and professional pursuits.
Why Do Internships in High School?
Engaging in a legal internship for high school students in San Francisco—or an internship in general—also provides an advantage in college admissions. According to the University of Chicago’s student-run consultancy PRISM, 70% of students attending a U.S. News Top 50 university completed at least one internship during high school.
Legal internships for high school students show colleges that applicants have explored their interest in law beyond the classroom and confirmed it through real-world experience—helping them stand out in a competitive applicant pool.
Furthermore, engaging in a high school internship can increase the odds of securing college internships and gaining admission to pre-professional groups and organizations, including:
- Pre-law societies
- Legal aid clinics
- Moot court
- Debate team
- Model UN
- Student government
How to Find Legal Internships for High School Students in San Francisco
The best place to find up-to-date information about legal internships for high school students is online. Search tools, like StandOutSearch, are a valuable resource for internship-seeking teens. StandOutSearch is the largest free online database of high school internships and is easily searched using a number of filters, including:
- Field of interest
- Location
- Format (in-person, online, hybrid)
- Compensation (paid or unpaid)
- Eligibility (age and grade requirements)
MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of summer programs and high school internships. Official programs, such as those found in MIT’s collection of summer programs and internships, are great, but they’re not without their drawbacks—most notably, they’re often extremely competitive.
In addition to applying to established internships, high schoolers serious about landing a position will want to form a cold outreach strategy. Cold outreach is the process of contacting professionals you don’t know to pitch an internship opportunity. Cold outreach can be stressful, but the tips and templates included below should help ease some anxiety and increase your chances of securing an opportunity.
7 Legal Internships for High School Students in San Francisco
Most legal internships for high school students in San Francisco have acceptance rates of 20% or lower, due to high demand and limited spots. We recommend applying to at least five programs. If an opportunity excites you, mark the deadline on your calendar so you don’t miss it!
1. StandOut Connect
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: November 23, 2026 (Winter cohort)
StandOut Connect is a program that helps match gifted high school students with online internships in their industry of interest. Potential sectors include finance, STEM, medicine, law, arts, and more. StandOut Connect is funded by StandOutSearch, the largest free database for high school internships. The program has been featured in Forbes and was created with the help of investment from The University of Chicago's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
2. The Norman Mineta Bay Area Summer Academy
Ages: 15-18
Location: Online, with an in-person capstone in San Francisco
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced (April 27 in 2026)
This Bay Area summer program brings high schoolers together in weekly online seminars with regional agencies like:
- Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
- Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
- Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
- Bay Area Air District (Air District)
Participants gain a deeper understanding of the role public agencies play in people’s lives and how they work to improve lives and advance equity. Students participate in seminars and interactive sessions, culminating in a presentation addressing a local challenge in transportation, housing, environmental justice, or a related area.
3. U.S. Department of State Pathways Internship Program
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations across the U.S. and remote
Timeline: Summer and School year
Deadline: Not yet announced
The U.S. Department of State's Pathways Internship Program hires U.S. citizen students at every level from high school to graduate school for paid federal internships, with some entry-level roles for high schoolers and GED students. Openings are spread across the country, and some roles are remote. Interns join either the Internship Experience Program (IEP), which lasts through the student's academic program, or the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP), with appointments of up to a year that can fit school breaks or run year-round. Applicants need to be at least 16, keep a GPA of 2.0 or above, remain enrolled and be able to obtain a security clearance; positions appear on USAJobs all year.
4. SF YouthWorks
Ages: Rising Juniors and Seniors
Location: San Francisco, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced (April 10 in 2026)
This summer program helps high schoolers build job readiness through workshops, trainings, and paid internships at San Francisco city departments, such as:
- Public Utilities Commission
- Public Library
- SF International Airport
Participants are paired with a mentor, explore potential career paths, take college campus tours, and perform community service while gaining a clearer picture of life after high school.
5. Mayor’s Youth Employment & Education Program (MYEEP)
Ages: Freshmen and Sophomores
Location: San Francisco, CA
Timeline: Academic Year and Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced (April 10 in 2026)
The Mayor’s Youth Employment & Education Program (MYEEP) provides high schoolers with paid work opportunities, but it’s more than just a job. Participants build the skills required for academic and professional success through workshops and training. They also receive mentorship, tutoring, and academic support.
Additionally, students are paired with mentors and given the chance to demonstrate leadership—ultimately building the skills and experience needed to accomplish their goals.
6. Center for Youth Development through Law Summer Legal Fellowship
Ages: Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Location: Berkeley, CA (East Bay public high schools)
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced
The Center for Youth Development through Law, based at UC Berkeley School of Law, runs a Summer Legal Fellowship for East Bay high school students from first-generation and marginalized backgrounds. Fellows spend two full-time months taking classes on the Berkeley campus, practicing in mock trials and meeting legal professionals, while working paid internships in law, government and nonprofit offices. The program adds college and career preparation, leadership workshops and ongoing mentoring after the summer. Sophomores, juniors and seniors at public high schools in Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Hayward, El Cerrito or Richmond can apply each March through April.
7. City of San Francisco Project Pull Internship
Ages: Sophomores-Seniors
Location: San Francisco, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced (February 13 in 2026)
Run through the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Project Pull places students in paid summer internships inside City departments. Interns explore careers in STEAM and public service and see firsthand how local government operates. They work 20 hours a week, Monday through Friday, for eight weeks, with weekly enrichment activities on skills such as leadership and teamwork. Current sophomores, juniors and seniors who live or attend high school in San Francisco and earned at least a 2.75 GPA in their last finished semester can apply. The City also lists other paid options for teens, including SF Youth Works, Opportunities for All, and the Workreation program with Recreation and Parks.
For more options beyond San Francisco, see our list of law internships for high school students.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If none of the above legal internships for high school students in San Francisco are the right fit for you, your next step is to launch a cold outreach campaign. Students and professionals alike often find reaching out to professionals they don’t know intimidating, but rest assured, the guide below should make the process considerably less nerve-wracking.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
LinkedIn is a fantastic tool for discovering companies, firms, and organizations that might host a high school intern. Smaller entities are often understaffed and more likely to take on a high schooler to assist with filing and organizing documents, maintaining files, researching, and providing administrative support.
When reaching out to professionals you don’t know, try to establish a personal connection. For example, bonding over a shared hometown, volunteering for the same community advocacy group, or sharing a passion for a particular hobby or sports team.
Put your safety first when pursuing a cold outreach strategy—it’s safer to schedule interviews and meetings virtually.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can use university staff directories to identify professors for research opportunities. Remote positions for high school students are rare, as professors usually assign in-person tasks. Remote roles are more feasible in computational research, which often requires basic coding skills in languages like Python or R. Fortunately, you can learn these languages independently for free in a few months through resources like Coursera’s Python for Everybody and R Programming courses.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
Aim to contact at least 50 potential internship providers as part of your cold outreach strategy. When emailing professionals, include a Google link to your resume, ensuring its settings allow anyone with the link to view its contents. Including a link works better than attaching a Doc or PDF, which can trigger spam filters and interfere with deliverability.
Be sure to include any work samples or relevant experience you have. This could include volunteer work with legal aid or advocacy organizations, participation in mock trial or debate teams, or experience with filing, organizing, and other administrative tasks.
Our resume template and tips offer a practical guide for creating a standout resume that can help you secure internships. Whether you already have a resume or are starting from scratch, you’ll find it useful. The University of Chicago’s resume template and guide is also a superb resource.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
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.
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].
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,
[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].
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Landing a legal internship for high school students in San Francisco, or anywhere else, requires persistence and determination. These opportunities are competitive, but the experience can give you a valuable head start on your career. If you found this guide useful, consider saving it for later or sharing it with a friend.
Good luck in your internship search!
