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Law internship education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a law internship. Law interns usually study law, political science, or criminal justice. 68% of law interns hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 8,306 real law internship resumes to see exactly what law internship education sections show.

The most common colleges for law interns are the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

There are also many online law internship courses to help get the education required to be a law internship.

There are certain law internship certifications that you should consider. These law internship certifications include Certified International Trade Law Specialist (CITLS) and Certified Legal Secretary Specialist: Intellectual Property (CL§).

What education do you need to become a law internship?

What degree do you need to be a law internship?

The most common degree for law interns is bachelor's degree, with 68% of law interns earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 17% and doctoral degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Doctorate, 17%

Master's, 7%

Associate, 5%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a law internship?

You should major in law to become a law internship. 24% of law interns major in law. Other common majors for a law internship include political science and criminal justice.

Law, 24%

Political Science, 19%

Criminal Justice, 10%

Business, 7%

Other Majors, 40%

Most common colleges for law interns

Law interns often get their degrees at University of California, Santa Barbara, University of California - Davis, and New York University. Here are the most common colleges for law interns in the US based on their resumes.

Law internship common college	Percentages
University of California, Santa Barbara	9.19%
University of California - Davis	7.50%
New York University	6.65%
Florida State University	6.65%
Hofstra University	6.08%

Show more common law internship colleges

Best majors for law interns

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Law	24.0%
2	Political Science	18.5%
3	Criminal Justice	9.8%
4	Business	6.7%
5	Psychology	5.3%

Show more common law internship majors

Best colleges for law interns

The best colleges for law interns are Stanford University, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University.

A law internship with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for law interns. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become law interns.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

3. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,610

Enrollment

3,215

8. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for law interns

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1. An Introduction to American Law

This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches...

2. Privacy Law and HIPAA

What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

3. Company Law: A Comprehensive Summary

4.6

(250)

An in-depth summary of Company Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations...

4. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

4.5

(552)

An English language course for business and law...

5. Privacy Law and Data Protection

6. American Contract Law II

Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...

7. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

4.6

(414)

A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

8. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

4.7

(1,575)

A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...

9. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals

The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...

10. A Law Student's Toolkit

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11. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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12. Law of Attraction: Law of Attraction and your Perfect Life

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13. Healthcare Law

This Specialization is designed to help you navigate the complex legal framework that governs modern health systems. You will learn the fundamentals of American health law, then explore how privacy law shapes the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients. You will also learn how intellectual property law influences everything from the pharmaceutical industry, to medical research, to cutting-edge ethical issues involved in emerging technologies such as DNA-testing. Finally,...

14. Introduction to International Criminal Law

-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes,...

15. Law: A Comprehensive Summary for LLB Students

4.2

(253)

An essential 24 hours of Video Lectures, Spider Graphs and Case Summaries made to guide LLB students preparing for exams...

16. Law of Attraction & Allowing YOUR Success Masterclass

4.5

(262)

Law of Attraction & psychology for manifestations, raising your vibration, abundance & happiness...

17. Law of Attraction Success System

4.6

(389)

Law of Attraction Mastery Using Self Hypnosis...

18. Effective Legal Office Administration

4.5

(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

19. Law of Attraction Coach Practitioner Cert (ACCREDITED)

4.5

(776)

Uncover the Law of Attraction & use it to help you & your clients benefit from all that the law of attraction offers us...

20. Law of Attraction Life Coach Certification (Accredited)

4.7

(2,730)

Manifestation and Law of Attraction Life Coach Training for Abundance, Psychology, Happiness & Allowing Your Success...

Top 10 most affordable universities for law interns

The most affordable schools for law interns are University of Florida, brigham young university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for law interns are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for law interns.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for law interns

The hardest universities for law interns to get into are Stanford University, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for law interns are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for law interns based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for law interns

The easiest schools for law interns to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, wayland baptist university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a law internship without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for law interns.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

9. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average law internship salary by education level

Law interns with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $42,608 annually. With a Master's degree, law interns earn a median annual income of $37,111 compared to $36,490 for law interns with an Associate degree.

Law internship education level	Law internship salary
Master's Degree	$37,111
Bachelor's Degree	$35,196
Doctorate Degree	$42,608
Some College/ Associate Degree	$36,490

Law internship education FAQs

Why study law?

What is the best college for Law Interns?

Have more questions? See all answers to common legal questions.

Search for law internship jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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