Pre-Law Fellowships: A Guide for Undergraduates

For many first-generation college students and those with limited resources, law school can feel inaccessible. However, numerous pre-law fellowship programs exist to encourage and prepare interested college students from a range of lived experiences to apply for admission to law schools. These programs aim to support participants in becoming leaders in the law, whether at firms, in government, or at public interest organizations. Pathway programs to law school are designed to help undergraduate students from a variety of backgrounds prepare for and gain admission to law school.

Understanding Pre-Law Fellowships

Pre-law fellowships are structured programs designed to provide undergraduate students with a comprehensive introduction to the legal field and the law school application process. These fellowships often include elements such as:

Academic Preparation: Simulated law school classes, LSAT preparation, and skill-building workshops.
Mentorship and Networking: Opportunities to connect with law school faculty, students, alumni, and legal professionals.
Exposure to Legal Practice: Internships, visits to courts and law firms, and interactions with legal aid and nonprofit organizations.
Financial Support: Scholarships, stipends, and coverage of program costs, such as room and board, books, and course packets.

Featured Pre-Law Fellowship Programs

Below is a list of pre-law fellowship programs, many of which accept applicants from all over the country.

AccessLex’s Searchable Pipeline Program Database

AccessLex offers a searchable database of pipeline programs, allowing students to find opportunities that align with their interests and qualifications.

American Bar Foundation (ABF) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program

The ABF Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program allows undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds who are considering careers in the field of law or social science to gain a hands-on learning experience for eight weeks during the summer. Each Fellow works closely with an ABF Research Professor on their research, affording them the opportunity to be mentored by and take part in sociolegal research with experienced scholars. Fellows gain unparalleled insight into a career in law through visits to the Cook County Criminal Court and to law firms including Banner Witcoff, Sidley Austin LLP, and Kirkland & Ellis. They attend a weekly seminar on social science research and meet with admissions representatives from local law schools. They also learn about legal aid and advocacy through field visits to social justice nonprofits, including the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Bluhm Legal Clinic, and the Uptown People’s Law Center.

Charles Hamilton Houston Scholars Program (CHHSP) at the University of Baltimore School of Law

CLEO (Council on Legal Education Opportunity) Programs

CLEO (the Council on Legal Education Opportunity) is committed to diversifying the legal profession by expanding legal education opportunities to minority, low-income and disadvantaged groups. CLEO provides training and workshops to college students who are interested in attending law school and pursuing a career in the legal profession.

Connecticut Bar Association’s Future of the Legal Profession Scholars Program

College juniors, seniors, and recent graduates who would enhance the diversity of the legal profession in CT can apply. Selected scholars receive a scholarship for an LSAT prep course as well as mentoring and networking opportunities.

Donald J. Douglas PreLaw Fellowship at the University of California Davis School of Law - King Hall Outreach Program

The Justice Michael L. Douglas PreLaw Fellowship offers undergraduate students one week of simulated law school classes in substantive areas of law, legal writing and legal analysis, and LSAT preparation. Fellows gain insight into best practices for applying to and succeeding in law school. This in-residence fellowship supports first-generation and under-resourced students interested in law school by providing information and resources about the admissions process, so they are better prepared for and can thrive in law school.

Duke PreLaw Fellowship Program

The Duke PreLaw Fellowship Program is open to students who have completed their freshman or sophomore years at four-year colleges and universities, technical colleges and community colleges (Class of 2028 or 2029). The ideal candidate being a student with demonstrated interest in pursuing law school who is ready to work hard, engage in coursework, and is interested in the access this program provides towards preparing for a legal education. We encourage applications from students who attend colleges and universities in the Southeast region of the United States, although students from colleges in other regions may also apply. Participants in the past have included students from North Carolina A&T, University of Texas at El Paso, Howard, University of South Carolina, Colgate, FAMU, UNC Pembroke, and Morehouse College, just to name a few. In addition, we encourage applications from first-generation college students, students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and students enrolled in community colleges who plan to transfer to a four-year institution. In keeping with Duke Law School’s mission, we also encourage applications from students who are interested in advancing equal justice in society, and those who have been exposed to a variety of experiences and perspectives that may enhance their ability to effectively serve diverse communities.

A completed digital application will include:

Completed 2026 Prelaw Fellowship Application
Resume
Copy of unofficial undergraduate transcript(s) (official transcripts will be requested later, if accepted into the program)
Two recommendation letters (at least one should be from a faculty member)
Two original short essays (limited to 500 words each). Select two of the following prompts:

Read also: Comprehensive Guide to NMF Scholarships
- A) What does the rule of law mean to you, and what special background or experiences do you have that may help you contribute to its advancement or that underscores its importance to you personally?
- B) Perseverance is one of the keys to success in law school and ultimately life. Discuss a time when you faced an obstacle, setback, or failure. How did it affect you? What lessons did you learn? What was the outcome?
- C) Exposure to a diversity of perspectives and experiences can enhance one’s ability to deliver effective professional services.All programming, room and board, books, and course packets will be provided free of charge.

Florida State College of Law Summer for Undergraduates Program

The Summer for Undergraduates Program brings to campus undergraduate students from throughout the country for a month-long immersion into legal study.

Future Leaders in Law (Harvard Law School)

Harvard Law School, in partnership with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, offers a Future Leaders in Law pre-law fellowship program to encourage and help prepare interested college students with a range of lived experiences, primarily individuals from first-generation and less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, to apply for admission to law schools around the nation. The fellowship program aims to support participants in becoming leaders in the law, whether at firms, in government, or at public interest organizations. Future Leaders in Law fellows participate in a yearlong program with a weeklong residency on the Harvard Law School campus in Cambridge, Mass. over the summer. During the in-person portion of the program, fellows will engage directly with Harvard Law faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

Future-L (Harvard Law School and National Education Equity Lab)

Future-L is a collaboration between Harvard Law School and the National Education Equity Lab offering high school and rising college students opportunities to explore pathways to law school and a potential future career in law.

IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law Pre-Law Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Program

The IIT Chicago-Kent Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars program (“PLUS”) is a three-week summer institute which will: (1) introduce participants to law school and the legal profession; (2) provide participants with substantive skills to strengthen their preparation for law school; and (3) educate and prepare participants for the law school application and admission process.

LAWbound (LatinoJustice PRLDEF)

LAWbound, a LatinoJustice PRLDEF program of the CAP LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE sponsored by Nixon Peabody LLP, aims to increase the number of Latinos who successfully stay on the path to law school. The program provides targeted services that address some of the most common barriers to admission to law school, and helps students effectively navigate the law school admissions process.

Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America Legal Program (LEDA Legal)

Harvard Law School is honored to be a founding law school partner of the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America Legal Program, or LEDA Legal, which is designed to expand the pipeline of underrepresented, low-income students attending law schools nationwide.

LSAC PreLaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) Programs

The LSAC sponsors several four-week, intensive law school pipeline programs for current college students. These programs are held at law schools throughout the country, including the University of Akron, the University of Alabama, Chapman University, Duke University, the University of Houston, St. John's University, and the University of Wisconsin. LSAC PLUS programs are targeted, but not restricted, to college students from racial and ethnic minority groups underrepresented in the legal profession.

Max Berger Pre-Law Fellows Program at Baruch College

MTO Fellows Program at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

PLSI-Pre-Law Summer Institute for American Indians and Alaska Natives

PLSI is an intensive two-month program which prepares American Indian and Alaska Native individuals for the rigors of law school by essentially replicating the first semester of law school. The course load consists of three substantive law courses, including Indian Law, Torts, and one other core curriculum subject which varies from year to year.

Ronald H. Brown Law School Prep Program for College Students at St. John’s University School of Law

SEO Law Fellowship

The SEO Law Fellowship provides academic and career development training to underrepresented students entering their first year of law school.

Seton Hall Law School The Summer Institute for Pre-Legal Studies

Sidley Prelaw Scholars Program at Sidley Austin LLP

Skadden Arps Honors Program in Legal Studies at The City College of New York

St. John’s University School of Law Prep Program for College Students

The Prep Program aims to encourage students from underrepresented backgrounds − often the first members of their family to attend college − to apply to law school and pursue the study and practice of law. Participants attend an eight-week summer program during which they take law school courses taught by St. John’s law schools. The program also may include an internship placement at a law firm or in the legal department of a corporation, government agency, or nonprofit organization.

Suffolk Law School Summer Pre-Law Pipeline Program

The Suffolk Law School Summer Pre-Law Pipeline Program is free to attend and is designed to equip participants who come from diverse or nontraditional backgrounds with the tools they will need to prepare successful applications to law school and succeed once they are admitted. The 2-week program includes mini-law school classes and an application workshop. It’s intended for students who are 1-2 years away from applying to law school (juniors or seniors in college).

TRIALS Training and Recruitment Initiative for Admission to Leading Law Schools

Trials is a five-week fully subsidized residential summer study program for students of modest means whose backgrounds are currently underrepresented at the nation’s top law schools. The program is a partnership of NYU School of Law, Harvard Law School, and the Advantage Testing Foundation.

UHLC Pre-Law Pipeline Program

Six-week residential program held at the University of Houston Law Center, with internship locations within the Houston metro area and environs.

University of Maine School of Law

Beyond Fellowships: Additional Opportunities for Pre-Law Experience

In addition to formal fellowship programs, several other avenues can provide valuable pre-law experience:

Internships

Law Firms: Many law firms offer internships to assist with legal research and administrative tasks as well as gain exposure to different practice areas.
Government Agencies: Department of Justice, district attorney’s offices, public defender’s offices, and other local, state, or federal agencies can provide valuable experience.
Corporate Legal Departments: Large corporations with in-house legal teams sometimes offer internships for pre-law students to gain insight into corporate law and compliance.
Courts and Judicial Chambers: Interning with a court or a judge’s chambers can provide hands-on experience in the legal system.
Legal Aid Societies: Local legal aid organizations provide legal services to individuals who cannot afford representation.
Nonprofit Legal Organizations: Legal nonprofits and public interest organizations offer internships for pre-law students to work on public policy issues.

Volunteer Opportunities

Search for volunteer opportunities related to your areas of interest via VolunteerMatch.

University-Specific Programs

The Pre-Law Project at USC: The Pre-Law Project is a program under JEP that is committed to providing all USC students interested in law careers with real legal experiences. The goal is to provide these opportunities so that students can explore the field of law before ever making the decision to apply to law school. By partnering with public interest law firms and civil rights organizations, students are able to secure law-related internships of a variety of commitment levels.

Study Abroad Programs

Duke Law D.C. Summer Institute on Law and Policy: The Duke D.C. Summer Institute offers short (two-week) courses taught by Duke Law faculty on topics of broad interest to college and graduate students, as well as professionals working in D.C. Launched in 2013, the Institute is designed for individuals considering law school or careers in the public sector and others interested in how the law shapes policy and regulation in the United States.
Dublin Internship Program (Summer): The Dublin Summer Internship Program offers eight weeks of coursework and participation in a professional internship in or near Dublin. Excursions to cultural and historical sites complement the coursework. Coursework is taught by local faculty at Dublin City University (DCU). Offerings include International Human Rights Law (CAS IR 306). Politics, International Relations, and Pre-Law internship possibilities include working with an NGO, the press, humanitarian organizations, a political party, or a local Dublin law firm specializing in civil, criminal, or corporate law.
Geneva: Global Governance, Economic Development, and Human Rights (Summer): All students enroll in one required course: CAS IR 421/GRS IR 621: Global Governance, Economic Development, and Human Rights (4 credits) This course examines contemporary global governance structures and efforts with a particular focus on achieving economic development that is environmentally sound and socially inclusive. Students gain an in-depth understanding of the many different roles that states, inter-governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations play in global governance in the early parts of the 21st Century.
London Internship Program (Summer): The London Internship Program offers study and work in England’s fascinating, fast-paced, and sophisticated capital. Study the issues and institutions of British political culture and work in a political setting, including Parliament, party organizations, lobbying groups, or political public relations agencies; or, study the history and practice of the law in Great Britain and participate in the daily life of a British law firm or commercial legal department.

Key Considerations When Applying

When applying for pre-law fellowships, keep the following in mind:

Eligibility Requirements: Carefully review the eligibility criteria for each program, including class standing, GPA, and specific interests.
Application Components: Prepare a strong application that includes a compelling resume, transcript, letters of recommendation, and essays.
Deadlines: Pay close attention to application deadlines and ensure that all materials are submitted on time.
Personal Statement: Craft a personal statement that highlights your unique experiences, motivations for pursuing law, and commitment to equal justice.
Letters of Recommendation: Cultivate relationships with professors and mentors who can write strong letters of recommendation on your behalf.

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