Legislative assistant
Encyclopedia
A legislative assistant is a legislative
staffer who works for a legislator by monitoring pending legislation, conducting research
, drafting legislation, giving advice and counsel, and making recommendations.
In the United States Congress
, most members (both Representatives
and Senators
) have multiple legislative assistants in their office, who may be tasked to handle one or more area in which the assistant has particular expertise (e.g. education policy
, environmental policy
, tax policy
). Often the assignments will be connected to the committee
assignments of the member.
In most offices, there is one staffer, variously called a legislative director (LD), senior legislative assistant, or legislative coordinator (LC), in charge of all legislative assistants in the office.
Some practitioners have questioned the lack of a federal congressional clerkship program, finding that few top law school graduates have or will take seriously the process of being a legislative aide to gain practical skills after graduation.
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
staffer who works for a legislator by monitoring pending legislation, conducting research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, drafting legislation, giving advice and counsel, and making recommendations.
In the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, most members (both Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and Senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
) have multiple legislative assistants in their office, who may be tasked to handle one or more area in which the assistant has particular expertise (e.g. education policy
Education policy
Education policy refers to the collection of laws and rules that govern the operation of education systems.Education occurs in many forms for many purposes through many institutions. Examples include early childhood education, kindergarten through to 12th grade, two and four year colleges or...
, environmental policy
Environmental policy
Environmental policy is any [course of] action deliberately taken [or not taken] to manage human activities with a view to prevent, reduce, or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources, and ensuring that man-made changes to the environment do not have harmful effects on...
, tax policy
Tax policy
Tax policy is the government's approach to taxation, both from the practical and normative side of the question.-Philosophy:Policymakers debate the nature of the tax structure they plan to implement and how they might affect individuals and businesses .The reason for such foitution effect]],...
). Often the assignments will be connected to the committee
United States Congressional committee
A congressional committee is a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty . Committee membership enables members to develop specialized knowledge of the matters under their jurisdiction...
assignments of the member.
In most offices, there is one staffer, variously called a legislative director (LD), senior legislative assistant, or legislative coordinator (LC), in charge of all legislative assistants in the office.
Some practitioners have questioned the lack of a federal congressional clerkship program, finding that few top law school graduates have or will take seriously the process of being a legislative aide to gain practical skills after graduation.
External links
- Summary of congressional staffer positions from Roll CallRoll CallRoll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...