How to guide legislative interns: legislators and staff bear a responsibility for the education and experience of a legislative intern.

• Author: Rosenthal, Alan
• Position: TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Every year thousands of undergraduate and graduate students from hundreds of colleges and universities intern in state legislatures. They fill in on day-to-day tasks, are helpful on research projects and in some places, are virtually all the staff a legislator has. However they are used, the legislature--and our democracy--benefits.

The principal benefits, however, go to the institutions of higher education that send the students and to the students themselves. Internship programs are one of the few ways, besides budgeting, that colleges and universities interact with the state legislature.

The students receive an educational experience unavailable in the classroom. They get to see the links between theory and practice. They learn firsthand about the legislative institution, the process and the people. As a result of their experience, a number of interns are recruited to legislative staff positions, and others are encouraged to run for public office.

Some students receive course credit for their work, others don't. The large majority are unpaid and work part-time at their internships. In a few states the interns (or "fellows," as they are sometimes called) are college graduates, working in the legislature full-time for a year. The variation in programs among the states is great.

An internship offers an educational opportunity for students and a challenge for legislators. Legislators are overburdened with responding to constituents, listening to lobbyists, doing case work, chairing or serving on committees, dealing with the media, relating to staff and so many other things. Still, legislators who have interns working for them (about one out of six) bear a responsibility for the education these students receive.

"Do remember," says Ann Bailey, a California Senate staff who is also the academic adviser for the Center for California Studies, CSU Sacramento, that interns "are the future, whether in politics or out of it, and their opinion of politics and politicians is being influenced by your actions."

On the basis of the experience of legislators, legislative staff, and college and university faculty members in a dozen states come these suggestions.

1

Meet, greet and welcome the intern immediately upon arrival. If possible, spend an hour or so getting to know him. (This may be the most important hour of the internship.)

2

Introduce the intern to relevant staff members in your office and legislative agencies. Make sure that she knows how to...