Intern directly with working legislators!

The Legislative Internship Program is a professional opportunity that matches students with Vermont lawmakers. Each spring, from January to May, these student-legislator partnerships meet regularly to plan essential tasks for the intern to complete. While the work will be particularly engaging for students interested in the political process, the experience will also appeal to students interested in research and policy on a wide range of areas.

By becoming a part of the Legislature, you will engage with not only legislators but also professionals uniquely involved with real-world issues you may care about including judiciary, education, energy, commerce, technology, corrections, health care, and more. Nonprofits, for-profits, lobbying firms, and Vermont citizens regularly converge at the Statehouse in Montpelier to debate policies that affect the lives of everyday Vermonters. All students will develop professional skills while working in a fast-paced environment.

Read accounts from legislators and students in the program about what makes this opportunity so unique! 

The application deadline for the Spring 2024 legislative session has closed. Please consider applying to the program for Spring 2025! 

Program Expectations (PLEASE READ!):

Students must be prepared to meet professional expectations and deadlines, attend at times boring, complicated meetings, respond quickly, creatively problem solve, and go above and beyond requests. In return you will have an unforgettable learning experience, expand your network, and develop in-demand professional skills in preparation for your later career in the political or policy world.

Skills required include: excellent self-direction, time management, organization, communication and response skills, research and analytical skills, note-taking, self-advocacy, self-motivation, writing skills, patience, and flexibility.

Please note that this program is only open to juniors and seniors who have a 3.0 GPA. Please see below for additional eligibility requirements and contact Liz Raddock with any questions.

The Internship Experience:

Potential tasks and projects will include:

  • attending and summarizing long committee hearings on subject matter that will be new to you
  • providing concise policy summaries and reports
  • tracking and summarizing complicated bills
  • providing constituent services
  • social media support
  • event planning
  • writing press releases and letters

Requirements & Logistics:

This program requires students to attend class on campus every Monday and a work minimum of 10 hours per week for your legislator. Class time and travel time are not included in the 10 hours.

The Legislature meets Tuesday through Friday, 9 to 12 and 1 to 4 p.m. Students must spend at least 4 hours per week at the Statehouse. As such, it is best to plan your Spring course schedule to have at least one day without classes so you can to travel to the Statehouse in Montpelier on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday for the required once-a-week visit (twice a week if possible). Public transportation from Burlington to the Vermont Statehouse takes approximately 1 hour in each direction. Legislators are representatives of various Vermont communities, so you may also be asked in the course of your duties to travel to their areas of the state and visit with local offices or constituents.

Carpooling with others in the program is strongly encouraged. There will be an expectation to split gas money if a carpooling arrangement takes place.

Program Schedule & Credit Information:

Because the Vermont Legislative Session does not line up with UVM's academic calendar, students in this program will be required to enroll in the Winter Session in addition to the Spring course. The first week of the Winter session (December 26 - 30) will be remote and will consist of training modules designed to prepare you for the upcoming internship experience. Your internship will begin in-person during the second week of Winter session (January 2 - 6) to align with the start of the Legislative Session (January 3). You'll need to be back in Vermont and ready to go for the start of your internship!

The program awards a total of 5 internship credits:

  • Winter session - 2 credits (CAS 2991 OL1/OL2
  • Spring session - 3 credits (CAS 2920 F/G)
    With the approval of the chair or the director of undergraduate studies, this internship experience may be substituted for the POLS elective. Contact Peter VonDoepp to request approval.

CAS's internship hours-to-credits rate is 40:1. So you will be working about 200 hours at your internship between January 2 and May 12 to earn the 5 credits. If you would like to continue at your internship into the summer, you may arrange that with your legislator and apply for funding through UVM's summer internship scholarship process.

You will be matched with your legislator by Nov. 17th and will be expected to meet with your legislator at least once before winter break.

Application Process: 

Steps:

  • In order to apply for the Legislative Internship Program, you MUST attend an information session or watch the recording prior to completing your application (see information and dates above). 
  • Fill out the application form by October 8. You will be asked to answer short answer and multiple choice questions about your professional experience, skills, and upload a one-page writing sample.
  • If selected as a finalist, you will be contacted to schedule an interview with the course instructor.

Participation Requirements:

  • Hold Junior or Senior class standing at the time of the internship
  • Have a 3.0 GPA or above
  • Attend one of three information sessions prior to applying 
  • Attend an interview with instructor
  • Have ability to travel to the Statehouse once per week (driving, carpooling, or public transportation)
  • Students are strongly encouraged to take no more than 3 courses in addition to the internship course
  • Students must be in Vermont by January 2nd to begin the Legislative Session in Montpelier on January 3rd

Instructor:

Liz First-Raddock (she/her)

Liz First-Raddock has over 25 years of experience in media, journalism, and local government and advocacy. She has worked for various local radio stations including Vermont Public Radio, WBUR-FM, the Burlington Free Press, and more recently at VT Digger and the Vermont Office of Legislative Operations. In her role as Legislative Internship Program Coordinator and now faculty mentor, Liz has worked with over 100 students to get them engaged and working directly with the Vermont Legislature. Get in touch with Liz via email.

QUICK HELP:

Contact the College of Arts & Sciences Internship Team with questions. 

 

Credit information:

The Legislative Internship Community of Practice counts as elective internship credit.

If students' internship placements are related to their major or minor, they can request that the credit count toward their major or minor by contacting their department chairperson.

Student Testimonials:

"This experience is a good transition into the "work world". I feel as though I am able to talk to adults in a professional manner without any anxiety or nervousness."

"The skills I learned that have been particularly useful in this experience are how to advocate for myself when concerns/worries arise, clearly communicate when in need of clarification, and set boundaries when scheduling around my other work. Other skills specific to the internship that I have learned are how to track bills, answer constituents via email, take concise notes during committee meetings, and relay information."

"This class has helped me solidify my belief that political science is definitely what I want to study as an undergraduate."

Angela Camacho-DeSousa ('21, Political Science) interned in Spring 2021 with Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram and is a student leader for the program. Hear about her experience: 

 

UVM Interns Learn Legislative Ropes, Partly by Zoom

"In late February, Henry Rood planted himself near the front of the conference room for the Vermont Climate Solutions Caucus and listened to state legislators chat about a regional initiative to curb greenhouse gas emissions."

Read the article in UVM Today > > 

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Our mission

Here in Vermont, we are lucky to have one of the most accessible legislatures in the country. You don’t need to schedule an appointment or go through staffers in order to meet with legislators — because they don’t have staffers. Our goal is to offer legislators immediate assistance with anything that they would otherwise have their own staff do. Specifically, we conduct policy research and provides support for legislators and committees. Through this service, we hope to offer students, legislators and Vermonters a meaningful engagement with each other in the policy making process.

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