Criminal Law & Trial Internship
Program Information
Rising Freshman - Graduating Seniors
Georgetown University Washington, DC
Seven Days - Sunday to Saturday
July 19th - July 25th, 2026
July 26th - August 1st, 2026
View Program Schedule
$3,500 USD
Click for Financial Aid
Intern with a law firm on an active defense case awaiting trial.
Interns will learn about congressional lobbying and advocacy by presenting a piece of legislation to a member of congressional staff on Capitol Hill. Interns directly impact legislative policy priorities facing their clients and the nation by advocating for policy change.
Congressional Advocacy
Interns gain real-world experience assisting criminal defense attorneys with court documents, research, and trial preparation on an active trial case. Interns will develop cross and direct questions that will prepare their client or expert witness to take the stand in the fall of 2026.
Witness Prep
Participants intern for a top law firm and learn from some of the nation’s leading attorneys to develop a direct or cross-examination. Interns gain experience in the legal profession and preview what a future in the field of law holds for them.
Law Firm Internship
Program Highlights
Gabriela Lopez
The Academy of the Holy Cross, Class of 2024
2023 Criminal Law & Trial Internship
"My biggest accomplishment was the direct examination of the client. I am also super proud of successfully advocating for an issue related to the case in a Congressional Meeting. It was so cool reading his real case files and interesting analyzing all aspects of it. With Brandi receiving updates about the case during the week, everything felt very real."
Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.
Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.
Beyond the law firm they are interning for, students work closely with legal scholars and leaders from Georgetown University, Georgetown Law, the National Reentry Network, the Public Defenders Office Service, the District of Columbia Police Department, practicing attorneys, and former Justice Department officials.
Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.
In previous years students have defended an FBI Agent with disabilities against discrimination, fought retaliation against a US Federal agent whistleblower, and prepared a witness to testify in the case against Paul Manafort, former Trump Campaign Manager, showcased in the national media. Past clients have been found not guilty at trial in part due to Leadership Initiatives Interns’ work on the cases.
Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.
Interns explore Washington, DC, and attend an exclusive tour of the Supreme Court, meet with members of the US Congress and staffers on Capitol Hill, tour the National Mall and DC museums, present in the Stephen S. Weinstein Courtroom at the Washington College of Law, and experience life as a Georgetown University student in the Nation’s Capital.
Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.
Interns have the rare opportunity to learn exactly what it takes to get into the Nation’s leading undergraduate colleges and law schools directly from admissions officers, including UCLA, Georgetown, Boston University, and Fordham University at our exclusive Undergraduate and Law School Admissions Panels.
Undergraduate Admissions Panels
Law School Admissions Panels
Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.
Throughout the program, interns meet and network with leaders from The DC Public Defenders Service, US Federal Judges, the National Reentry Network, DC Police, Georgetown Law, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and more.
Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.
Harden has practiced law for more than 20 years and is known as one of the most skilled trial attorneys in Washington, D.C., specializing on criminal defense, civil rights, and family law.
Explore a legal career and work on a real case — before you graduate high school.
All students who attend one of our Summer Internship Programs will receive free SAT/ACT training through PrepScholar, one-on-one admissions consulting with a former admissions officer, essay editing assistance, two letters of recommendation, and scholarship application assistance. All college prep benefits remain available for six years from the date of registration to allow nominations for rising freshmen through rising seniors.
Click on each academic benefit below to learn more :
1. College Admissions Officer
2. College Essay Assistance
3. Letters of Recommendation
4. College Probability Modeling
6. Admissions Panels
5. Personalized Websites
Jumpstart your college experience.
Summer program students will have the opportunity to meet virtually, one-on-one with a college admissions expert from our partners at CollegeAdvisor. They will help walk students through the ins-and-outs of college applications, essay writing, and scholarships.
Students can speak directly with dedicated admissions counselors and former admissions officers to provide them with an in-depth understanding of the college application process. These counselors have personal and extensive experience in the college application field that cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Students are recommended to have their most pressing questions about the college application process ready so they can have them answered by someone who knows the application system inside and out.
Past students have used this time to hone in on their essay topics, decide on how many colleges to apply to, and create application time lines
College Admissions Officer Meeting
All Summer Internship Program participants receive one-on-one essay editing assistance from Leadership Initiatives.
Each student essay will be edited to ensure it makes an excellent impression at every stage of the competitive application process. The editors will improve the style, clarity, sentence structure and coherence of your application so that your achievements are noticed.
Editors bring decades of experience in many different backgrounds, including Science and Technology, Commerce, Management, and the Humanities.
College Essay Review
Letters of Recommendation
Matthew Matusiewicz - Full Ride to UC Berkley School of Engineering
Samantha Williams - Attending Harvard University
Meredith Karle - Full Scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
All Summer Internship Program participants will have the opportunity to have two written for them from any Leadership Initiatives staff member, including the Executive Director Marshall Bailly.
Students interns will also have the opportunity to have letters written by Leadership Initiatives partners from the International Business & Development Internship, International Public Health Internship, and International Law & Advocacy Internship.
These unique and complimentary letters are one of the most highly regarded benefits that Leadership Initiatives has. Below are letters of recommendation from past students showcasing how the program transformed their lives:
College Probability Modeling
Leadership Initiatives and our partners at Parchment and PrepScholar have designed a system that will calculate the probability of acceptance into the student’s top university choices based on the students GPA, test scores, extracurricular activities, career goals, financial need and more.
The Leadership Initiatives college admissions team will then help all participants narrow their college interest list and create a college application plan.
Because our college admissions team work with a broad range of higher education institutions, their advice, and beneficial knowledge will allow students to further understand the college admissions process.
Financial Assistance Needs
Extra-Curricular Activities
Community Service
College Probability Calculator
Grade Point Average
SAT/ACT Training Scores
Upon completion of the internship, Leadership Initiatives creates a personalized website highlighting your experience and accomplishments.
Intern websites display your headshot and bio, your team's project or grant proposal, and photos of you and yourr partners in action, illustrating the skills you've learned and impact you've made on an underserved community. The website link is included in your letters of recommendation, acting as a visual resume and allowing colleges to explore your outstanding achievements.
Personalized Website
Click to view our Summer Internship Program websites here.
Summer program students will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a college admissions expert. They will help walk students through the ins-and-outs of college applications, essay writing, and scholarships.
Students can speak directly with former admissions officers from schools such as Yale, Brown & UCLA. These individuals have a minimum of 15 years of experience in the field of college admissions.
Students are recommended to have their most pressing questions about the college application process ready so they can have them answered by someone who knows the application system inside and out.
Past students have used this time to hone in on their essay topics, decide on how many colleges to apply to, and create application time lines.
College Admissions Panel
Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.
Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.
Leadership Initiatives is committed to ensuring health, safety, and well-being at all of our world-class summer Summer Internship Programs. Leadership Initiatives closely monitors guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), local officials, and our university partners at Georgetown to evolve our programs and prioritize community and student safety.
Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.
Participants become a part of the Georgetown community of students and staff who live together in the New South Residence Hall. Students live in two-person rooms and may select their roommate of the same gender upon enrolling in the program. Leadership Initiatives will provide bedding, towels, and pillows. Each dorm room is air-conditioned and includes a bed, study desk, closet & Wi-Fi. Lounges, game rooms, laundry facilities, and our offices are located in the residence hall. With afternoon activities in the Georgetown Quad and outings along famous M Street, participants are immersed in life as a student.
Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.
Leadership Initiatives provides three meals, snacks, and drinks as a part of the program tuition. Students order meals on their mobile phones from a selection of local restaurants, including Chik-fil-a, Epicurean, 90 Second Pizza, Georgetown Gourmet, Chipotle, Wisemiller's, and Jimmy John's. Meals are delivered directly to the students, and snacks and drinks are available in dorm lounges throughout the day.
Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.
Students are responsible for covering the cost of travel to and from the internship. Leadership Initiatives offers optional shuttle service between Washington-area airports (DCA and IAD) and the Georgetown University campus on the official start and end dates of the program. The shuttle fee is $30 from DCA and $45 from IAD. Upon acceptance into the program, detailed instructions for registering for the airport shuttle service will be provided. Leadership Initiatives staff will meet students at the airport baggage claim area and escort them directly to program registration at Georgetown University.
Program Tuition & Assistance
All-Inclusive Program Tuition
Specialized
Scholarships
Assistance Scholarships
No-Interest Payment Plans
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The program tuition includes the cost of room and board, ground transportation throughout the program, all curriculum and materials, as well as facility and lab fees. Interns will also benefit from a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio during their time in the program.
Tuition covers educational support, including one-on-one college admissions counseling, mentor sessions with experts, workshops, and comprehensive academic services. This includes SAT/ACT preparation through PrepScholar and college essay editing.
Scholarships and payments plans are available.
All-Inclusive Tuition
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No-Interest Payment Plans
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Leadership Initiatives offers a variety of flexible options to pay for program tuition.
Zero-interest payment plans are available in three, six, nine, and twelve-month payment options.
Participants can opt to pay the entirety of their remaining tuition balance at any point during the payment period.
Reserve a place today with a $100 refundable deposit here.
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Specialized Scholarships
Leadership Initiatives is dedicated to providing opportunities for everyone who shows drive, determination, and grit towards their future goals. We have created various specialized scholarships to provide merit-based aid to enrolled and potential students.
Click here to view 2025 scholarship recipients.
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Scholarships
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, all Leadership Initiatives programs are heavily subsidized by our sponsors allowing us to offer programs with academic benefits at a lower cost than for-profit institutions.
To apply for a scholarship click here to fill out the program interest form and indicate you are interested in a scholarship.
Please note scholarships do not stack (this means you can only use one scholarship per program).
Partners and Sponsors
Our office in Washington, DC is open seven days a week - give us a call! A phone conversation allows us to answer your specific questions and provide you with contact information for previous internship participants and their families so that you can get a first-hand perspective.
Join us this summer!
Contact Us
4410 Massachusetts Ave., NW #236
Washington, DC 20016
info@lichange.org
202-738-1115
Helpful Links
Request Alumni References
Become An Intern
Testimonials
Visit The International Internship Homepage
Leadership Initiatives is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, publicly supported, charitable organization as determined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
Recognition