Becoming a legislative assistant requires a college-level degree in government or law and an interest in politics. In the US, senators and congressmen are the largest employers of legislative assistants, who must have an advanced understanding of the legislative process and a law degree. Legislative assistant requirements are similar in other countries, with educational requirements generally being less stringent. Jobs are usually not posted publicly, and it is sometimes possible to become a legislative assistant working with an independent company or non-profit group involved in the law-making or lobbying process.
The process of becoming a legislative assistant varies slightly depending on where you are and the type of organization you are looking for work in, but it generally requires a college-level degree in government or law and an interest in the political process. For the most part, the phrase “legislative assistant” is reserved for individuals who work as a support and advisory staff to elected government officials. In the United States, senators and congressmen are the largest employers of legislative assistants. The same is true for Members of Parliament (MPs) in much of Europe, Canada, Australia and India. Depending on where you are, you could also become a legislative assistant in the private sector, working in the legislative or lobbying arm of an independent company or foundation.
It is usually not possible to become a legislative assistant without an advanced understanding of how the legislative process works. In the United States, senators and congressmen at the state and federal levels hire teams of legislative assistants, also called ALs, to help research and draft potential new laws. With few exceptions, all of these ALs hold a law degree. Hands-on experience isn’t always necessary, but education is.
To become a legislative assistant in the United States, you generally must attend law school after completing your degree. Most of the time, the topic of your graduate work has no direct bearing on your success as an AL, although most people in the position have a background in government, politics, or communications. What is most important is that you have a formal education in the US legislative process and have a firm grasp on how to craft effective regulation.
Most US legislators hire a separate LA on every issue, from health care to the environment. You don’t need to have demonstrated experience in any particular field to become a legislative assistant right from the start, but you should quickly learn new information and quickly become an expert in a number of nuanced fields related to your assigned field. Most often, new LAs receive comprehensive legislative assistant training to help them understand expectations.
Legislative assistant requirements are similar in other parts of the world, although educational requirements are generally a little less stringent. It is more common for parliamentary LAs to have only degrees, for example. Most countries with parliamentary systems allow individual members of parliament to hire legislative assistants to help with drafting laws and researching areas where laws need to be drafted. Many cover multiple issues, as most MPs only have one or two legislative assistants, if any.
Most legislators, whether in Congress or Parliament, hire their LAs internally through a private application and interview process. Most of the time jobs are not posted publicly anywhere but on the hiring rep or committee website. Finding available legislative assistant careers can sometimes be as challenging as actually landing them.
It is also sometimes possible to become a legislative assistant working with an independent company or non-profit group that is involved in some way in the law-making or lobbying process. The phrase “legislative assistant” is occasionally used for employees who help companies identify legislative issues. Landing this type of work is usually a matter of demonstrating specialist knowledge of the organization’s key issues, as well as bringing some specialist knowledge of the legislative process.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
