Lawyers in the Legislative Branch of the Federal Government

Washington, D.C. presents an astounding array of opportunities for law students and law graduates who wish to join the ranks of those working on Capitol Hill. Lawyers serve in some of the most important positions and at some of the highest levels in Congress. Often, the most difficult task in obtaining one of these highly coveted positions is simply knowing where to begin.

This post attempts to provide a brief summary of resources and information that will help Virginia Law students and graduates find summer internship and permanent employment opportunities in the legislative branch of the federal government. As noted in our previous posting, the quickest way to obtain a legal position in Congress is through personal contacts. When such contacts are not available, however, there are other points of entry into the legislative realm for those determined to obtain positions on the Hill.

A Few Quick Notes

(1) Students who have decided to pursue summer internship opportunities and do not have prior Hill experience or personal contacts should immediately review Internships for Law Students, an online resource available on the Public Service Center homepage (Employment Resources - Law Web log-in required, password to database provided).  Once you sign-in, scroll down to the Congressional Internships 2007-2009 database.  This highly invaluable resource provides hiring information for more than 250  members of Congress in 43 states.  The database includes information on the type of work available, stipend availability, application procedures, deadlines, and more.  Internships for Law Students is a great place to start for law students who seek summer internships; however, students should not rely solely on this resource.

(2) Please take a moment to read our recent interviews with 2Ls Susan Edwards and Gretchen Adelson.   Edwards and Adelson graciously agreed to answer a few questions about their recent experience working on the Hill and provided interesting insight and remarks on navigating the application process.

(3) Congress is currently considering legislation that would create a total of twelve new clerkships for law graduates in the Senate and House of Representatives.  The clerks would serve one-year terms and be compensated at the same rate as judicial law clerks employed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  Earlier this month, the House passed the bill, and it is now being considered in the Senate. So do keep your eye on H.R. 6475 over the next few months.

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3Ls and graduates often start their careers on the Hill by applying directly to Members’ personal offices. Applications for internships and clerkships with Members of Congress or Committees, including the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, are considered through Members' personal offices. Prior experience on Capitol Hill is often critical to obtaining these highly competitive positions, and those without prior Hill experience frequently obtain such experience while in law school or immediately following graduation.

The Senate

To start your search, consult the Senate Placement Office's website and fill out a Senate Employment Application Form. The Placement Office maintains a resume bank of individuals seeking Senate employment, referring the resumes of suitable candidates when a Senate office requests assistance filling a position. To complete the Senate employment registration process, candidates are also encouraged to undertake informational interviews. Informational interviews are conducted on a walk-in basis between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon & 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is important to note that an applicant must be available for employment within two weeks of the time of his or her informational interview.

The Senate Placement Office also releases a weekly Employment Bulletin as a resource for Senate offices wishing to advertise staff vacancies. Updated copies are posted online on Friday evenings, and applicants are encouraged to respond directly to vacancy announcements. You may also wish to contact individual Senate offices directly to set up informational interviews, especially with the offices of Senators from your home state and those sitting on committees of interest.

The House of Representatives

Although there is not an exact counterpart to the Senate Placement Office on the House side, when applying to House positions, the same rules generally apply. Contact Members of Congress in your home state and check for Members who sit on committees of interest to you. The American Bar Association released a short step-by-step guide for contacting individual offices (entitled How to Find a Job on the Hill). The posting also includes great follow-up and interviewing tips.

The House Employment Opportunities website also suggests contacting the House job line at (202) 226-4504 for further information on congressional openings.

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The Library of Congress presents a wonderful point of entry into the legislative realm for those interested in building the relationships and developing the issue expertise that are so integral to securing a top-notch position on the Hill. For an overview of the various departments, visit the LOC website. In addition, current vacancies at the LOC are updated daily and ranked by application deadline.

Do not be deterred from applying to these positions if you do not have prior Hill experience. Every person who works on the Hill started somewhere, and getting your foot in the door with a lower-level position can eventually lead to more coveted, higher-responsibility positions in the legislative branch or in other federal government agencies. Graduate degrees and particular areas of expertise are highly valued, and applicants may find that sparse Hill experience does not present a marked shortfall. The University of California-Berkeley has a short rundown of a few positions commonly listed in House and Senate vacancy announcements, as well as some other ideas for getting your foot in the door.

Here in Charlottesville, the Miller Center of Public Affairs, presents an interesting networking opportunity for students.  Each year, some of the most influential officials from all branches of the federal government are invited to participate in the Center's diverse academic, public, and policy programs.  Students may volunteer at the Center to assist with its programmatic and operational needs and work directly with its scholars and staff.  Virginia Law students who have interned at the Center have succeeded in making important contacts in Washington, including with Congressional leaders.

Yale Law School has a terrific guidebook.  Working on the Hill provides the types of opportunities available on the Hill and includes narratives from Hill employees. This resource is available on PSLawNet, here.

As mentioned above, valuable experience is critical to building a Capitol-Hill-ready resume.  Thus, obtaining employment in the executive branch may be one alternative avenue to explore before making the move to Capitol Hill. For advice on pursuing this career path, see our recent blog on lawyers in the executive branch.  Executive branch work not only provides tremendous legal and policymaking experience, but also begins to populate that network of contacts so critical to advancement in Washington. As the largest employer in the federal government, the executive branch provides a diverse array of opportunities for those just starting out in the nation's capital. Many DCites move back and forth from one branch to the other during their careers in Washington. 

It should also be noted that law graduates often develop valuable expertise by working for a law firm after graduation. Although graduates who join the private sector have to work that much harder than executive branch or other federal employees to build a network of Capitol Hill contacts, law firm jobs have proven successful entry points for many law graduates looking to transition into the public sector. For additional information on starting out in the private sector, visit the Career Services homepage.

Finally, consider volunteering for a candidate running for public office.  Working on a campaign, especially during an election year, will help you establish valuable contacts within the party and the state, as well as provide interesting, worthwhile experience that may help catch that wandering staffer’s eye. Volunteering a few hours of your time over the next few months could certainly lead to more exciting opportunities down the road.

We hope the above gives you a good starting point. As always, we are available to meet with you if you would like to explore opportunities on the Hill.  We're available at publicservicelaw@virginia.edu.

Creative Commons photo of Capitol Hill courtesy of flickr user vgm8383.

Photograph of Senator John Warner, R-VA (UVA Law 1953).

Photograph of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee , D-TX (UVA Law 1975).