With Who: Maryland General Assembly (Annapolis, MD)
Dates: Spring 2020 (January – early April). The General Assembly meets annually for a period of 90 calendar days, beginning the second Wednesday in January and continuing through early April. During the initial months, the busiest days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with few or no committee hearings scheduled for Mondays or Fridays. Most legislators would like their interns to work the three days from Tuesday through Thursday or full-time. However, realizing the demands of college scheduling, the General Assembly accepts students who are able to work only two days per week. Since the legislature does not take any holidays during its 90-day session, interns are required to commit themselves to a weekly work schedule and to take no holidays or spring break.
Position Description/Eligibility: (This is a paid internship.) Upon acceptance into the program, students interview for placement with legislators, committees, or caucuses of the Maryland General Assembly (MGA). Students presently enrolled in a public or independent college or university are eligible to apply. Students must be at least 18 years of age, have a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade-point average, and show proof of competency in college composition. A student with a lower GPA may participate in the program if recommended by the sponsoring professor and accepted by the MGA Coordinator. Many of the interns are political science majors; however, students working for degrees in other areas, who are interested in learning firsthand about the process of state government, are encouraged to apply. Academic credits must be granted to the interns by their colleges and universities. Additional academic work may be required by the sponsoring professors.
Tasks: The type of work assigned the interns is mainly legislative, although some duties are clerical in nature. Legislative responsibilities may include:
- Research
- Writing correspondence
- Preparing, recording, and reporting testimony
- Contacting witnesses
- Attending committee hearings
- Tracking bills
- Working on mailings
- Responding to constituents’ inquiries and handling problems
- Writing newsletters
Stipends: A stipend is awarded each intern to help defray the costs of participating in the program. The total session stipend varies, depending on the number of days per week the intern works in Annapolis. To be eligible for the program, a student must be able to work a minimum of two full days each week of session.
- $850 per session = 2 days (15-18 hrs) per week
- $1,250 per session = 3 days (19-26 hrs) per week
- $1,650 per session = 4 days (27-31 hrs) per week
- $2,000 per session = 5 days (32-40 hrs) per week
Application Deadline: October 31, 2019
Apply: Contact Carol Pelli (Intern Coordinator) at studentprograms@mlis.state.md.us or 410-946-5124 for more information.