Law & Advocacy
- Level: High School
- Grades: Enrolled in 9-12
- Length: 9 days
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.
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.
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
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
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:
These trips may include:
Yale University
- Yale Law School
- Connecticut Supreme Court
- US Attorney’s Office
- New Haven Courthouse
- Times Square
- Rockefeller Center
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
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
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.