High School Summer Discovery
This 2-week summer legal program offers college enrichment experiences to high school students.
High School Summer Discovery
As part of Summer Discovery's longstanding partnership with UCLA, the UCLA School of Law offers two exclusive two-week academies for high school students, taught by UCLA faculty with real-world courtroom and policy experience.
Our two immersive academies introduce the fundamentals of legal thinking through dynamic courses designed for curious students — no prior legal experience required. Through interactive discussions and real-world case studies, instructors bring the legal profession into the classroom, helping students see how legal thinking works beyond textbooks.
Law & Strategy of Intellectual Property
July 5 - July 17, 2026
Ever wonder who actually “owns” the music, videos, gadgets, and algorithms you use every day? In this exclusive two-week summer experience in partnership with the UCLA School of Law, you’ll immerse in the real-world rules that power creativity and innovation. You’ll learn how copyright protects artists and filmmakers, and how patents fuel everything from phone tech to Ozempic. Through modern examples, surprising case studies, and hands-on challenges, you’ll see how creators defend their work, how big companies lay claim to their most powerful ideas, and how lawyers – yes, lawyers – make this ecosystem go. In short, it’s law meets pop culture and today’s digital scene, but with no legalese required.
Trial Law and Advocacy
July 19 - July 31, 2026
Step into the courtroom — without needing a bench warrant or subpoena! This exclusive two-week summer experience in partnership with the UCLA School of Law gives high school students an immersive crash-course in real-world trial skills. Through lectures, hands-on practice, mock trials, and field trips to actual courtrooms, students will learn how to build persuasive opening statements, conduct direct and cross-examinations, handle objections and evidence, and deliver powerful closing arguments.By the end of the program, students will not only understand how trials work — they’ll feel what it’s like to stand in the shoes of trial attorneys and witness, think on their feet under pressure, and speak persuasively in front of others. It’s ideal for curious teens interested in law, public speaking, justice, or just trying something new this summer.
Program Details
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Instructor Bios
Law & Strategy of Intellectual Property
Doug Lichtman, J.D.
Professor of Law
Faculty Director, Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports LawDoug Lichtman focuses his teaching and research on topics relating to law and technology. His areas of specialty include patent and copyright law, telecommunications regulation, and information strategy and economics.
Professor Lichtman joined the faculty at UCLA School of Law in 2007 after a tenured teaching career at the University of Chicago. His work has been featured in numerous journals including the Journal of Law & Economics, the Journal of Legal Studies, the Yale Law Journal, and the Harvard Business Review. He co-authored Telecommunications Law and Policy, a textbook that investigates the federal regulatory regime applicable to broadcast television, cable television, radio, telephony, and the Internet. He also regularly writes in the popular press, with recent pieces appearing in the Los Angeles Times and the policy magazine Regulation.
Trial Law and Advocacy
John Henry, J.D.
Professor of Law
Director of Trial Advocacy Programs, Loyola Law SchoolJohn Henry is a graduate of Loyola Law School. After graduation, John began his prosecutorial career at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and later at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Over his career, he tried approximately 80 jury trials to verdict, prosecuting cases involving sexual assault, child molestation, physical abuse, and homicide. In 2020, he was promoted to Chief Deputy District Attorney—becoming the first African American to serve on the executive management team of his office. Over the past 20-plus years, alongside longtime program director Susan Poehls, he helped elevate Loyola’s Byrne Trial Advocacy Team into one of the nation's top programs. He has guided teams to multiple regional and national championships and mentored countless students into confident criminal and civil trial attorneys. In 2025, John transitioned into a full-time faculty role at Loyola. As Director of Trial Advocacy Programs, he now oversees the Byrne Trial Advocacy Program and the Hobbs District Attorney Practicum.
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Dates
Law & Strategy of Intellectual Property
July 5-July 17, 2026
Trial Law and Advocacy
July 19-July 31, 2026
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Cost
Residential: $7,499 per course
Commuter: $4,499 per course
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