51ÂÒÂ×

High school students are invited to apply for the highly competitive Summer Law and Trial Institute offered this summer at 51ÂÒÂ×'s Athens campus. The program is free for students selected to participate, thanks to generous support from 51ÂÒÂ× alumni.

Students will engage with attorneys and judges, litigate a mock trial, observe a Supreme Court argument, learn about law school, and visit various non-governmental organizations.

Preference is given to rising high school juniors and seniors from Appalachian Ohio, though students from outside the region also can apply.

Learn more and apply online

Free Program for high-achieving, rising high school juniors and seniors

The program takes place from July 7-18, 2025, with the last week in residence at OHIO. The institute culminates in a mock trial that family members are invited to attend in the Athens County Municipal Court. Over twenty OHIO alumni who have attended law school participate and teach in the program. In the days leading up to the mock trial, these alumni and current OHIO pre-law and mock trial students will work with institute participants, getting them ready for roles as prosecutors, witnesses and defense attorneys.

The Summer Law and Trial Institute (SLTI) aims to increase understanding of the law and its possibilities among Ohio high school students. Students accepted into the free program will explore law and the American legal system and learn about a variety of legal careers from the alumni, who will discuss their roles as attorneys, judges and advocates.

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The deadline to apply for this selective program is May 31. Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis, so applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as admission is competitive.

The institute was founded in 2016 by Larry Hayman, director of pre-law program in the  in the College of Arts and Sciences and the University's pre-law advisor. Hayman joined the law center in 2014 after eight years of practicing law. He earned a B.A. in political science and graduated magna cum laude from the College of Arts and Sciences at 51ÂÒÂ× in 2003. He received his Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, graduating in the top 10 percent of his class, and is licensed to practice law in Ohio and in federal court.  He serves as Trustee of the Ohio State Bar Foundation and holds leadership positions in the Pre-Law Advisors National Council and Midwest Association of Pre-Law Advisors.