I'm interested in law internships...but am a little confused about when I should do this. Does it matter what grade I'm in? Is it better to do this during the school year or summer?

Hi A'mina, That's great you are already thinking about legal internships as a high school senior. Perhaps you can think about getting a summer job at a law firm or you could volunteer for a legal non-profit in your area (such as Legal Aid). If you are open to both paid and unpaid positions you will likely be able to find something that will give you some exposure to the legal field. Check with your local courthouses as well. Just an example, the US Dept of Justice has a student volunteer program for high school students (scroll to the bottom) http://www.justice.gov/careers/student_programs.html.

I hope that helps, best wishes!

Another option is to participate in National Groundhog Job Shadow Day, which will take place on February 2 this year. Because this is a Sunday, many schools will celebrate Job Shadow Day on the Friday before or Monday after. Your counselor or school to work coordinator at your school will be able to make these plans for you. You can do the job shadow for a day and make some connections. If you like what you experience, use those connections to put together an internship during second semester or the summer.

Additionally, many schools will give you class credit for an internship that takes place during the school day or during a class period. If you are taking a high school law class, see if your teacher and counselor can fix you up with an internship for second semester. Be your own advocate if there isn't a system like this in your high school. Visit with your principal or superintendent and see what they can do for you.