Events for aspiring law majors: local, regional, and national
Ranging from criminal justice to constitutional law, law is a field perfect for students interested in working as lawyers, judges, lawmakers, and policymakers – people who directly engage in building or interpreting the legal system that underpins society. While technically in the humanities, there are many unique sub-disciplines in law, and you may find it difficult to start building out extracurricular activities without someone in the know.
That’s why we’ve created a list with a lot of different options that you can explore, starting with the smaller, more immediately accessible ones to the more labor- and time-intensive national events.
Local level
Designed for beginners, these activities are easy to start and scale up according to your needs. This is a great place to get ideas about how to make your application more competitive for your future studies in law.
Legal aid volunteer
This activity allows you to get personally involved in local community outreach through the lens of legal topics. Many of these groups provide services for low-income and underrepresented groups. While any individual student can reach out to a local legal aid clinic that offers high school student positions, this can also be organized as part of a proper club that does this activity as part of its outreach. There will be certain requirements for some positions, such as proficiency in a language, but will have opportunities for high school students with little or no other experience.
Mock trial club
This is easy to start if you’re a beginner interested in law but do not have prior experience. Providing hands-on experience in the setting of a legal system, mock trials can give you the practice of presenting a case, developing critical thinking, and public speaking, all while you have the support of being in a team environment. Join a local club to see what it’s like or start one yourself if one doesn’t already exist at your school.
Model UN
In model UN, students take on the role of delegates and debate a simulated international issue. You can expect to participate in significant components of research, negotiation, and public speaking. Both mock trials and model UN are also good for clubs in that there are local, regional, national, and international events, giving you access to different tiers that your group is comfortable taking part in.
Regional level
For this post, we’ve chosen Houston as our sample area. Regional events are good in that they have a little more structure compared to casual extracurricular activities, and you’re going to be familiar with the geopolitical and socioeconomic issues at a more personal level than larger global events. Remember there will be versions of these events all across the country, so make sure to find ones relevant to you.
Houston Bar Association Law Day Contest
This is a contest for students from kindergarten to 12th grade in the Houston area with essay, photo, and poster submission categories centered on an annual theme. Winners receive scholarships and recognition at a Law Day luncheon at the end of the event.
Texas Teen Court Mock Trial Competition
This is an annual competition that allows high school students to participate in simulated trials. Students prepare their cases and present them in front of judges, who evaluate their arguments and performances. Applications are typically due in January. For those who want to go even higher on the competitive spectrum, the National High School Mock Trial Championship would be the bigger version.
Houston Urban Debate League
Made up of former debaters, debate parents, and debate professionals, the goal of this organization is to help Houston’s students find their voices through support of competitive debate. With a combination of workshops, contests, championships, and scholarships awarded to dozens of high and middle schools, the group offers summer programs, yearlong instruction, and competitions all free of charge.
Deadlines: Differing deadlines for multiple programs and activities
National level
If you’re looking at serious law schools for your education, then you already know that having a big national win is going to help a lot. These events are some of the biggest law-related events offered in America and will put you up against the brightest legal minds in the country to demonstrate the mastery of your case or topic.
We the People
The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals is a competition that challenges high school students to demonstrate their understanding of the United States Constitution and its principles. It’s open to all high school students, but teams must place first in their state event to move on to the finals.
Deadline: For the 2024 competition, expected deadline is Dec. 1, 2023, with finals in April
National High School Ethics Bowl
This is a competition that challenges students to think critically about ethical issues and apply their reasoning skills to “some of the toughest moral issues of our time.” Teams from all over the country compete in debates and discussions about topics such as social justice, environmental ethics, and medical ethics. Teams need to be 3-5 members, so this one is a long-term commitment that will involve solid planning and teamwork.
Link: https://nhseb.unc.edu / https://nhseb.unc.edu/regionals
Deadline: Fee $125 before Dec. 1, $175 after Dec. 1
Harvard Model Congress
Started in 1986, this is the world’s largest simulation congress run entirely by Harvard undergrads that allows high school students to experience civic involvement and governmental mechanics through role-play and simulation in drafting and debating legislation. Through sister organizations, HMC holds five annual contests throughout the world. It provides need-based financial aid to make sure as many students can participate. Awards are offered for excellent delegates with the very best delegate getting, you guessed it: Best Delegate. It’s a big deal.
Deadline: September early registration $105 / November late registration deadline $205
(There is an additional school fee that the team pays and then individual delegate fees)
This should be enough if you’re just getting started and hopefully contains some useful ideas to expand what you already have. If you find yourself stuck, we can help, either with our free information resources or directly working with you to get you to the next part of your application. With summer coming up, look forward to adding one more big notch to your application soon. Good luck!
