- 1). Read essential law books independently to gain a better understanding of law in general and other specific sub-categories of law. The Complete Idiot's Guide series of books has several books that break down basic categories of law and are easily accessible to high school students. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Lawsuits" by Victoria Green, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Government" by Mary Shaffrey, and "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Constitution" by Timothy Harper can all give excellent overviews of basic law concepts.The weekly periodical 'The National Law Journal' gives an overview of current debates and legal issues. Once you understand the basics, books such as "The Transformation of American Law" by Martin Horwitz, "Full Disclosure: Do You Really Want to Be a Lawyer?" by Susan Bell, and "The Bramble Bush: On Our Law and its Study" by Karl Llewellyn can be helpful in deepening your understanding of law and law school.
- 2). Take additional high school classes necessary to help you understand law. Classes such as government, political science and sociology are important, but beyond these obvious classes, writing, rhetoric and speech are all essential for understanding law. In particular, since law involves written argument and logic, classes that focus on how to write logically and create arguments are essential.
- 3). Apply for summer law programs available to high school students. The Columbia University summer law program runs from the end of June through the beginning of August. This is a selective program with an extensive application process that involves recommendation letters, a copy of your high school transcript, and a personal statement, so try to apply as early as possible for the best chance to be accepted. Georgetown's summer program is also selective and requires a lengthy application process. This program runs from July 31 to Aug. 7. Both programs give students a thorough overview of basic law classes, such as constitutional law, criminal law, and legal research. In addition, the Just the Beginning Foundation provides a free summer legal institute program in many locations around the United States, such as in Houston, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; and Chicago, Illinois. These programs are generally about a week long. Applications must be received by early May for the July program.
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