Young Lawyers Summer School FAQ

Students on the Young Lawyers Summer School explore several different areas of law through a mixture of taught workshops, discussion, problem-solving exercises, advocacy tasks and larger practical simulations. Over the course, they are introduced to topics such as criminal law, civil law, contract law and human rights, and they learn how legal reasoning works by applying those ideas to real and fictional case scenarios.

In the workshops, students are taught the basic legal principles behind each topic and then asked to work through examples, edge cases and problem questions. This helps them understand not just what the law says, but how lawyers use it, how legal arguments are constructed, and how the law can be questioned or reformed.

The course also includes bigger practical activities that make the subject feel more immediate. Depending on the part of the course, students might take part in a mock negotiation, work through a client-style legal scenario, or practise advocacy using case papers. These exercises are designed to help students connect legal ideas to the kinds of tasks lawyers actually carry out.

On the in-person course, the programme builds towards a full mock trial on the final day, with students working in teams as prosecution and defence barristers in a Crown Court case. On the online course, a full mock trial is less practical, but students still work with case materials and complete advocacy-based exercises that develop the same core skills.

If you would like a more detailed picture of how the course unfolds, there is also a full session-by-session breakdown available in the course outline.

The mock trial is an important focal point of the course, particularly on the in-person version, but it is not the whole course.

Across the programme, students build up the skills and understanding that make the advocacy side meaningful. They learn how to analyse a case, construct an argument, question evidence, respond to opposing points, and present their ideas persuasively. Those skills are developed throughout the course, so that by the time students reach the larger advocacy exercises or the final mock trial, they have something real to draw on.

At the same time, the course is not limited to courtroom law. Students also explore areas of law and legal practice that are less about arguing a case in court and more about solving problems, structuring agreements, and thinking about how legal rules should work. That is one reason the course includes topics such as contract law and human rights alongside criminal law and advocacy.

So while the mock trial is a major part of the experience, the course as a whole is broader than that. It combines discussion, legal analysis, practical exercises and advocacy so that students come away with a fuller picture of what studying and practising law can involve.

The course introduces students to several different areas of law, including the criminal justice system, criminal law, contract law, negotiation and human rights. These are then brought together in practical activities such as advocacy exercises and, on the in-person course, a full mock trial.

These areas are chosen partly because they offer a clear and accessible entry point for students who are completely new to the subject. Each of them contains core principles that can be introduced in a straightforward way, while still allowing plenty of room for discussion and more subtle thinking as students grow in confidence.

They are also areas of law that are likely to feel relevant to students’ lives. Students already encounter agreements, rules, rights and responsibilities in everyday life, even if they would not normally describe those experiences in legal terms. That makes these topics a good way into the subject.

Finally, the range is deliberate because it shows students how broad law really is. Human rights, contract law and criminal advocacy all involve very different kinds of questions and can lead to very different kinds of legal work. One of the aims of the course is to give students an early sense of that breadth, so that they begin to see law not as one narrow subject, but as a wide field with many different forms of practice and enquiry.

The course is classroom-based, but it is taught in a highly interactive way.

Students are introduced to legal ideas through guided teaching, discussion and explanation, and then work with those ideas through activities, debates, group tasks and practical exercises. So although the course is academically serious, it does not feel like a dry lecture course, and it is not built around heavy note-taking or formal written work.

The aim is to make the material active. Students are not just told what the law is, but are asked to test it, discuss it, and use it. That is why the course includes so much discussion, scenario work and role-based activity. These are not separate from the teaching – they are one of the main ways in which the teaching happens.

It is probably best understood as a serious classroom course taught in an engaging and practical style.

Yes – it is a very good first introduction to the subject.

Although the Young Lawyers Summer School is designed for 11–14 year olds and does not try to reproduce undergraduate law study in full, it does introduce many of the same basic foundations. Students encounter core legal ideas, practise analysing problems, build arguments, and take part in the kinds of structured activities that sit at the heart of legal learning more generally.

That means the course can give students a meaningful sense of whether they enjoy the content of law and the kinds of thinking it involves. If they find that they are excited by the ideas, enjoy constructing arguments, and like the mixture of analysis, discussion and advocacy, that is a strong sign that law may be a subject worth exploring further.

Many students who enjoy Young Lawyers later go on to attend our more specialised Law Summer School courses for older students. Those courses provide a more advanced experience and can give students a much clearer sense of what undergraduate-style legal study is like. In that way, Young Lawyers can act as a very useful first step, helping students decide whether they would like to pursue the subject further as they get older.

The course helps students develop a wide range of skills that are valuable far beyond law itself. They practise analysing problems, thinking through consequences, constructing arguments, listening carefully to other people, and adjusting their own response in light of new information. They also build confidence in speaking, presenting ideas, working in teams, and recognising their own strengths.

Just as importantly, the course gives students a chance to experience serious learning in a way that is lively and enjoyable. For many students, it is their first taste of law as something active, interesting and intellectually exciting. Even if they do not go on to study law, that experience can still be very valuable: it can increase confidence, spark curiosity, and leave them with a stronger sense of their own interests and capabilities.

Alongside this, students also gain a better understanding of the society they live in. Learning about law helps them think more clearly about rules, rights, responsibilities and how public life is organised. In that sense, a basic legal education is useful for everyone, not only for future lawyers.

The course helps students practise a number of closely connected skills. One of the most important is analysis: students are given information about a scenario, case or problem and have to work out which parts are important, which legal principles are relevant, and how those things fit together.

They also spend a great deal of time learning how to construct an argument. That means taking the key pieces of information they have identified and organising them into a clear line of reasoning that leads to a conclusion. From there, students think about how to present that argument as persuasively as possible for a particular audience, while also taking account of the professional role they are playing in the scenario.

The course also develops spoken communication and advocacy. Students practise expressing their ideas clearly, speaking persuasively, and responding calmly when challenged or when new information emerges. Part of the skill is not just saying something well, but adjusting what you say in light of what other people have said or how they are reacting.

Because much of the course is collaborative, students also develop teamwork. They learn how to work with others, divide tasks sensibly, recognise their own strengths, and combine their efforts effectively as part of a group.

The course suits quite a wide range of students, and it is actually unusual to find a student who does not get a lot out of it. The main thing is a willingness to take part actively – to join in with discussion, think about problems, and have a go at presenting ideas.

Students who are naturally curious, enjoy asking questions, and like working out how to make a strong argument often thrive on the course. It tends to appeal particularly to students who enjoy discussion, who like thinking through real-world problems, or who take satisfaction in working out how to persuade other people.

At the same time, the course is designed to be lively and engaging, with a lot of variety in the material and activities. Because law is explored through interesting examples, practical exercises and role-play, many students find themselves enjoying it even if they had not previously thought of themselves as especially argumentative or confident.

Yes. In practice, the Young Lawyers Summer School works well across the full 11–14 age range.

One reason for this is that the material is usually new to almost everyone, regardless of age. Students are not arriving with years of prior legal study behind them, and the core ideas are introduced from the beginning in a way that is accessible to the whole group. In that sense, the difference between an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old is often less significant than parents sometimes expect.

The main variation is usually not understanding, but confidence. Older students can sometimes feel a little more comfortable speaking at length, standing up in a mock trial, or holding a more complicated line of questioning in their heads. But younger students often do extremely well too, and sometimes bring an energy and willingness to throw themselves into activities that is a real strength. We regularly see 11-year-olds enjoy the course very much and take a great deal from it.

What matters most is not age alone, but the individual student. If you have a particularly mature 14-year-old who may be ready for a more advanced course, do get in touch. We can sometimes be flexible around age boundaries, and in some cases it may be more appropriate for that student to join one of our 15–18 Law Summer School courses instead – particularly Law Part 1: Criminal and Family Law, which is generally the most accessible starting point within the older age group.

No. Most students on the Young Lawyers Summer School are still at a very early stage in thinking about their future, and that is exactly what we would expect at this age.

A small minority arrive with a very clear ambition to become a barrister or solicitor, but most are simply curious about law, or are considering it alongside many other possibilities. Some have not really thought about it at all before coming on the course. All of those students can benefit from it.

Part of the purpose of the course is to help students explore the subject in a meaningful way. For some, that may spark a lasting interest in law. For others, it may simply give them a better understanding of how the legal system works and help them develop useful skills in analysis, argument and presentation. Both outcomes are valuable. The course does not require a fixed career plan, or even a strong pre-existing interest in law – only an openness to trying the subject seriously.

This is a friendly and supportive course, and many students who seem a little shy at the beginning settle in well once they get to know the group. The tutors are used to encouraging quieter students gently, and the atmosphere is designed to help students feel comfortable contributing.

That said, it is important to be honest that spoken participation is a central part of the course. Young Lawyers is not a course where students can remain entirely in the background. Discussion, advocacy, questioning and verbal argument are all an important part of the experience, and students will get the most out of it if they are willing to take part in that way.

We do try to make this manageable. In bigger activities such as the mock trial, if a student is very uncomfortable with one of the most public speaking roles, it is often possible to find a way for them to contribute in a role that still feels included and meaningful. But in general, this is a course that asks students to speak, participate and engage actively. For some shy students, that can be a very positive challenge – but it is still a challenge, and parents should be aware of that.

These activities are a central part of the course because they allow students to experience law as something they do, not just something they hear about.

Practical exercises such as mock trials, negotiations and human rights arguments give students the chance to apply the ideas they have been learning in a much more immediate way. They have to think from a particular perspective, build the strongest case they can, respond to opposing arguments, and represent a position clearly and persuasively. That makes the learning far more vivid than simply discussing the same ideas in the abstract.

It also gives students a much stronger sense of what legal work can actually feel like. One of the most valuable things about these activities is that they help students move beyond a general interest in law and begin to understand whether they enjoy the processes that legal study and legal practice involve – making arguments, weighing evidence, speaking on behalf of a client or position, and thinking strategically under pressure.

For many students, that is what makes the subject come alive. The activities engage them intellectually, but also give them a more personal and memorable sense of what it is like to step into the role of a lawyer.

The Young Lawyers Summer School is taught in small groups because law is a subject that students understand best by taking part. This is not simply a course about absorbing information. It is also about learning how to analyse a problem, present an argument, question evidence, and respond to other people’s ideas.

Small-group teaching gives every student far more opportunity to contribute, ask questions, and receive feedback from tutors. That matters both for understanding the academic content and for developing the practical side of the subject, particularly in areas such as advocacy, discussion, and case analysis.

It also makes the course more responsive. Law is a broad and varied subject, and different groups are often drawn to different questions or examples. Teaching in smaller groups allows tutors to follow those interests where appropriate, while still making sure that the core material is covered carefully and clearly.

The main reason is that spoken participation is central both to law and to the way this course teaches it. Legal work often depends on being able to explain a position clearly, respond to questions, listen carefully, and adapt your argument in real time. More broadly, discussion and verbal argument are some of the best ways for students to test their thinking, refine their ideas, and learn how to respond to other people well.

These are also valuable skills beyond law. The ability to think on your feet, express yourself clearly, listen properly, and work effectively with others is important in almost any academic or professional setting. They are skills that many students do not get as much opportunity to practise in ordinary school life, where written work and formal assessment often take precedence.

There is also a more recent benefit that has become increasingly obvious. As technology changes the way people write, study and communicate, the ability to explain your thinking clearly and persuasively in real time is likely to become even more important. In that sense, the course’s emphasis on spoken participation is not only valuable for understanding law, but also for developing forms of confidence and communication that are likely to matter more and more going forward.

That is why spoken participation matters so much on the course. Students are learning not just to know something, but to express it, test it, defend it and refine it in response to others.

The three-day in-person course costs £365, and the two-day online course costs £125.

Places can be reserved with a 25% deposit, with the remaining balance due eight weeks before the course start date.

We also offer a bursary scheme, which can support students with up to 90% of the course fees depending on circumstances. You can find full details on the bursaries page, or contact us if you would like to discuss your eligibility.

For the in-person course, sessions run from 10:30 to 16:30, with a break for lunch at 12:30.

For the online course, sessions run from 10:00 to 15:30, with short breaks during the day.

These schedules are designed to allow for focused academic work while still leaving students with time to rest and reflect between sessions.

There are two main options. The first is to give permission for your child to leave the building independently at lunchtime. In that case, students may buy their own lunch locally or bring a packed lunch and eat it in the gardens just across the street from the venue when the weather is suitable. Many of the older students in the age group, or those who are already comfortable spending time independently in central London, choose this option.

The second option is for a parent or carer to collect the student at lunchtime. We recognise that this is not especially convenient for all families, but it is the alternative for parents who do not wish their child to spend the lunch break independently.

Unfortunately, the building we use does not provide a suitable lunch space for students of this age, so if you are booking the course, it is important to be aware that you will need to make arrangements for lunchtime. When students attend with friends, some families do sometimes organise lunch collection between them, but in all cases a plan does need to be in place before the course begins.

If a student does not have permission to leave independently at lunchtime or at the end of the day, we make sure in advance that we have the details of the named adult or adults authorised to collect them, and we follow that arrangement carefully.

The main difference is that the in-person course runs for three days, while the online course runs for two. On the in-person course, that extra day allows students to build towards a full mock trial, which becomes a major focal point of the programme.

On the online course, students still practise many of the same advocacy skills. They learn how to question witnesses, construct arguments, and work with case papers, but the course does not culminate in the same full team-based mock trial. In other words, most of the core skills are still developed online, but they are practised through shorter advocacy-based exercises rather than through one large set-piece courtroom simulation.

Aside from that, the two versions are much closer than parents sometimes expect. They cover the same substantive legal topics, and both are taught in the same interactive, discussion-based style. The online version also benefits from smaller group sizes, which helps preserve the same sense of personal attention and active participation.

Yes. We actively welcome students from a wide range of social and educational backgrounds, and we believe that having a diversity of experiences in the classroom enriches the discussions for everyone involved.

For that reason, we offer a bursary scheme which can support students with up to 90% of the course fees, depending on circumstances.

Full details of how the bursary system works, including eligibility and how to apply, can be found on the bursaries page.

If you are unsure whether you might be eligible, or if you would like to discuss your situation before applying, you are very welcome to contact us. We are always happy to talk through the options and help families understand how the scheme works.

In most cases, yes. We are very happy to work with students who have particular access needs, whether related to physical disability, neurodivergence, or other learning requirements.

If there is anything that would help you participate more comfortably in the course, we encourage you to let us know in advance. The more information we have about a student’s needs, the easier it is for tutors and organisers to make appropriate adjustments.

Wherever possible, we will work with families to ensure that students can take part fully in the sessions and engage with the course in a way that suits their learning needs.