Summer Leadership Intern Program (SLIP)

How will Columbus high school students spend their summer vacation this year? A selected few will get the chance of a lifetime by participating in the Summer Leadership Intern Program (SLIP). Each year, high school juniors in Columbus Public Schools that are accepted into SLIP, work in downtown law firms and government agencies for eight weeks paid internship. They also participate in an intense law-related education program.

Sponsored by the Columbus Bar Association and Columbus Public Schools, SLIP began in 1993. The program has several goals: to provide summer employment to youths who might not otherwise get jobs; to expose the students to the legal profession and to the work routine of the business world; and to help keep them on a track toward college and a professional career.

During the summer, the students visit the U.S. District Court, the Supreme Court of Ohio, and the Ohio Court of Claims. Two major activities include a mock legislative hearing on a current Ohio bill that they present to state legislators in the Statehouse. They also participate in mock trials in front of real judges in the Franklin County Courthouse.

The program will runs from mid June to early August. Pre-program workshops take place on Saturday mornings through the month of May. Employers include firms, public sector and other law related enterprises.

Applications are available in all CPS high schools and are coordinated through the social studies department chair, guidance counselor, or internship coordinator.