Program Details

Try your case as a lawyer in a courtroom at the NSLC on Law & Advocacy.

At the National Student Leadership Conference’s high school summer law program, the courtroom becomes your classroom as you assume the role of trial attorney and battle for justice. Work hand-in-hand with practising attorneys as you examine the evidence, research the issues and build your case. Guilty or innocent, prosecution or defense, you and your co-counsel affect the outcome.

Program Highlights

Criminal trial simulation
You and your team will master courtroom techniques as you try a challenging case – from preparing and examining witnesses to crafting and delivering a closing statement.

Law school visit
Learn what law school is like from admissions officers and current students.

Guest speakers
Meet with leading trial, jury, forensic and legal experts from the top law firms, the Department of Justice and the court system.

Dates & Locations

Note: Space is limited. Please login to the online application to see up-to-date session availability.

Duke University

Durham, NC

Sample Schedule
Trips & Tours
Explore Location
  • July 6 - July 14
  • July 17 - July 25
The NSLC is not sponsored by Duke University.

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Sample Schedule
Trips & Tours
Explore Location
  • June 23 - July 1
  • July 5 - July 13
  • July 17 - July 25
  • July 28 - August 5

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Sample Schedule
Trips & Tours
Explore Location
  • June 24 - July 2
  • July 6 - July 14
  • July 17 - July 25
The NSLC is not sponsored by Yale University.

Hands-on Simulations

The NSLC’s high school summer law program uses an interactive approach to learning that gives you an opportunity to immerse yourself in the challenging complexities of the judicial process. You and your team will prepare and try a case in a real courtroom. You will research the evidence, prepare your witnesses, craft your arguments and ultimately present your case before a judge. Your performance will determine the fate of the accused.

Our college-level lecture series from practicing attorneys will give you a foundation of knowledge on the fundamentals of trial preparation and courtroom techniques.

Topics include:

  • Homicide Laws
  • Witness Preparation
  • Opening Statements
  • Direct Examination
  • Evidentiary Procedure and Cross-Examination

Meet Law Professionals

While at the NSLC, you will meet with and learn from leaders in the legal community. In past years, NSLC students have heard from special guest speakers including Supreme Court Justices, Attorneys General and accomplished trial attorneys.

Examples of past speakers include:

Justice David Souter
U.S. Supreme Court

Justice Anthony Kennedy
U.S. Supreme Court

Professor Joe Daly
Professor and drafter of the Vietnam Constitution

Judge Reggie Walton
U.S. District Judge, District of Columbia District Courts

Justice Dennis Eveleigh
Connecticut Supreme Court

Dean Heather Gerken
Dean, Yale Law School

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

An important part of the NSLC’s high school summer law program is seeing the sites around some of our nation’s greatest cities. These trips are designed as both sightseeing tours and exclusive educational trips specifically tailored to the area of Law:

Trips may include:

Duke University

Law School Visit | Courthouse | Chapel Hill & Franklin Street | Downtown Durham

Georgetown University

The Supreme Court | U.S. District Court | U.S. Federal Courthouse | Historic D.C. Monuments at Night | The Smithsonian Institution | The Holocaust Memorial Museum | Baltimore Harbor

Yale University

Yale Law School | Connecticut Supreme Court | US Attorney’s Office | New Haven Courthouse | Times Square | Rockefeller Center

Leadership Training

At the heart of the NSLC is a leadership curriculum designed to build concrete leadership skills that will help you succeed. Interactive lectures and small-group workshops will give you an opportunity to build upon your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Leadership topics tailored to the Law & Advocacy program include:

  • Personality Styles and Group Dynamics
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Negotiation
  • Public Speaking
  • Intrapersonal Communication

College Credit Option

American University (AU) and NSLC have a unique partnership that enables you to earn college credit by enrolling in a supplemental online course designed to correlate with your NSLC program’s area of study. By enrolling in this credit course, you will enjoy a stimulating, innovative, and personalized college-level learning experience that builds on your NSLC accomplishments. The course is for one credit and is taught in a self-paced, asynchronous format across six weeks, allowing ample time to complete assignments. The course is designed to work within the framework of NSLC; students are not expected to complete coursework while on campus. Students may register for college credit via their personal student portal (myNSLC) once they have enrolled in an NSLC session.

Click here to learn more about this opportunity.

Tuition

Program tuition includes housing, all on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, and activities. Tuition also includes chartered, air-conditioned motor coaches for off-campus briefings and tours. Note: Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the program as well as individual spending money for souvenirs, laundry, and a few off-campus meals during fields trips and tours.

Click here to view our cancellation and refund policy.

LocationTuition
Durham, New Haven, and Washington, D.C.$3,595
Top