Spring 2020 Internship/Clerkship Opportunities for Undergrad, Grad, and Law Students
The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), Office of the Ranking Member, seeks unpaid interns and law clerks for the spring of 2020. The positions offer undergraduate, graduate, and law students the opportunity to gain substantive experience in a Senate office while participating directly in the legislative process. Intern and law clerk responsibilities include, but are not limited to: assisting Committee staff in performing office duties, conducting research, analyzing legislation, drafting memorandums, and assisting in hearing preparation. Interns and law clerks play a key role in the office and will work closely with senior policy advisors and counsels.
HELP Committee: The HELP Committee works on a wide range of issues in the areas of health, education, labor, workforce, pensions, and oversight. Please specify within your application which office or offices you would prefer to work in.
Qualifications: Applicants should have (i) an interest in public policy and (ii) a desire to learn. They also must have good attention to detail, work well under pressure, be self-motivated, and possess excellent written and oral communication skills.
Openings:
Health Policy Intern: interest and experience in health-related matters, including but not limited to: the Affordable Care Act, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children’s health, the Food and Drug Administration, health equity/disparities, health information technology, health workforce, Medicare/Medicaid, mental health, the National Institutes of Health, public health and preparedness, and/or women’s health.
Education Policy Intern: interest in education-related policy, including: early childhood, k-12, postsecondary, workforce, and civil rights issues. Interest or experience teaching or working with students encouraged.
Labor Policy Law Clerk: clerkship open to current law students or recent law school graduates who have an interest in or experience in issues facing workers, including workers’ rights, minimum wage and overtime, union rights and collective bargaining, inequality, occupational safety and health, international labor rights, family and medical leave, equal pay, and equal employment opportunity and civil rights.
Pensions Intern or Law Clerk: clerkship open to current law students and LLM candidates who have an interest in retirement policy. The Pensions team covers a wide range of topics from multiemployer defined benefit pension plans to 401(k)s to DOL’s conflicts of interest rule to coverage and leakage policies, among many other issues. Please note relevant classes taken, if any, in your cover letter.
Oversight Law Clerk: clerkship open to current law students or recent law school graduates who are interested in health, education, and labor law and policies that strive to protect consumers, workers, and the public. Previous experience in government is not required but candidates should have a general understanding of the legislative process.
Communications Intern: interest in press and communications, including: social media, press releases, speechwriting, op-ed writing, and media outreach (ii) an interest in public policy and (iii) a desire to learn. Strong candidates will demonstrate good attention to detail, work well under pressure, be self-motivated, and possess excellent written and oral communication skills. Writing and research experience preferred. Policy issues will vary. Applicants for the communications position should prioritize press-oriented writing samples over academic-oriented ones.
Disability Policy Intern or Law Clerk: interest in issues and policy as it relates to individuals with disabilities that may include: equitable educational opportunities, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, seclusion and restraint, alternate assessment, equitable employment opportunities, AbilityOne, efforts to phase out subminimum wage, health care broadly, home and community based services, health disparities, Medicaid, and disability rights.