At the NSLC on Law & Advocacy, you’ll step into the role of a trial attorney and experience what it takes to argue a case from start to finish. Learn how to analyze evidence, question witnesses, and craft compelling arguments as you prepare for a simulated trial. Through interactive workshops and debates, you’ll explore how legal reasoning, ethics, and advocacy shape justice in and beyond the courtroom.
Program Highlights
Inside Law & Advocacy at NSLC
Explore law and legal advocacy firsthand this summer. NSLC pre-college programs combine academic learning with real-world opportunities, giving you the experience and perspective to make more confident decisions about college and your future career.
Explore through hands-on learning.
Develop the skills and knowledge you need for a future career in law with experiential simulations.
Explore SimulationsLearn from the experts.
Get real-world perspectives and insider knowledge straight from the professionals.
Explore Guest Speakers
Go behind the scenes.
Discover the inner workings of the field through immersive trips and tours.
Explore Trips & ToursI had the best time here. I'm so glad I decided to attend. I made friends I will never forget and now have a good idea of what I want to do with my future.
Makena, Wyoming
Hands-on Simulations
Explore the legal field
through experiential workshops that connect legal theory to courtroom practice. Examine evidence, investigate legal precedent, and apply constitutional principles as you prepare to argue a case in a simulated trial. Discover how attorneys build arguments, question witnesses, and navigate courtroom procedures as they advocate for their clients.
Mock Trial
Demonstrate your trial advocacy skills as you argue a challenging criminal case in a courtroom.
Jury Selection
Experience the pre-trial screening process that attorneys give potential jurors, exploring their backgrounds and biases to determine if they can fairly participate in courtroom proceedings.
Opening & Closing Statements
Learn to develop captivating arguments and powerful conclusions that compel the jury to decide the case in your favor.
Evidentiary Procedure
Study the proper rules and processes used to admit, present, evaluate, and challenge evidence throughout legal proceedings.
Direct & Cross Examination
Discover the strategies attorneys use throughout witness interviews to craft a compelling - and more importantly, convincing - narrative.
Guest Speakers
Gain expert insights.
Interact with guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds that bring practical knowledge and real-world experiences to the Law & Advocacy program.
See Past Guest Speakers
U.S. Supreme Court
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Drug Enforcement Administration
DC Monuments at Night
Trips & Tours
Go beyond the classroom.
Gain a new perspective on the legal profession through field trips that uncover how the industry works behind the scenes. A mix of educational and sightseeing tours allow you to explore the city surrounding the university.
See Trips by Location
Leadership
is in our name.
Each NSLC program contains a leadership curriculum designed to teach skills that can apply to all areas of life. Workshops on personality styles, communication and listening, resilience, and empathy set the foundation for a successful future, no matter where it may lead.
Watch VideoLife on a College Campus
Dates, Locations, & Tuition
NSLC provides an immersive pre-college experience that prepares students for life beyond high school, allowing them to study in university classrooms, learn to navigate a campus, and experience college life firsthand. When submitting an application, students will select a residential or commuter option: residential students stay on campus in supervised dormitories, while commuter students follow daily arrival and departure times designated by their chosen location.
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
$4,495 Residential
$3,845 Commuter
Summer 2027
Jun 24 - Jul 2
Jul 6 - Jul 14
Jul 18 - Jul 26
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
$4,595 Residential
$3,925 Commuter
Summer 2027
Jun 23 - Jul 1
Jul 5 - Jul 13
Tuition Resources
Earn College Credit
NSLC has partnered with American University to offer an online college credit opportunity for students across all our programs and locations. AU’s faculty-taught courses are completed at home outside the dates of your program and tailored to complement your area of study.
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Law & Advocacy FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering if NSLC’s Law & Advocacy program is right for you? Explore below, read our general FAQs, or reach out to our team. We’re happy to help!
You don’t need to have participated in debate, mock trial, or a law-related class to start exploring the legal field. An interest in problem-solving, understanding different perspectives, or figuring out how rules affect people’s lives is a good starting point. At NSLC, you’ll practice building arguments, examining evidence, and communicating your ideas through hands-on legal activities.
Law & Advocacy, International Law & Politics, and Political Science all explore how laws and institutions shape society, but each takes a different approach. Law & Advocacy focuses on legal reasoning, evidence, and representing clients through courtroom advocacy. International Law & Politics examines legal questions that cross national borders, including how international rules and agreements affect countries and organizations. Political Science explores political institutions, ideas, elections, and public policy. If you’re interested in practicing law, Law & Advocacy may be your starting point. If global legal issues or political systems interest you more, International Law Politics or Political Science may be a better fit.
No! While trial attorneys represent clients in court, many lawyers spend most of their time outside the courtroom. Corporate attorneys help businesses navigate legal issues, estate planning attorneys help clients prepare for the future, and other lawyers work in areas such as contracts, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance. Even lawyers who handle court cases spend considerable time researching, writing, and preparing arguments rather than appearing before a judge.
No. Unlike some professional pathways, law school doesn’t require a specific undergraduate major. Students enter law school after studying subjects ranging from political science and history to economics, English, and the sciences. What matters is developing strong reading, writing, research, and analytical skills while meeting the admissions requirements of the schools you’re considering. Choose a major that genuinely interests you rather than assuming there’s only one route into law.
Both activities involve research, public speaking, and persuasive arguments, but they work differently. In debate, students argue positions on a topic according to a particular debate format. Mock trial recreates a courtroom proceeding, with students taking roles such as attorneys and witnesses, examining evidence, and presenting a case under trial rules. If you enjoy either activity, you may discover that the skills involved also connect to studying law.
If you enjoy asking questions, considering different sides of an issue, or making a case for something you believe, law may be worth exploring. But legal work also involves careful reading, research, writing, and listening, sometimes more than speaking. At NSLC, you’ll experience aspects of legal reasoning and advocacy that can help you discover what interests you about the profession and whether you’d like to study it further.
Your future starts here.
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