By Julia Nikhinson, Justice and Legal Thought
The work that I did at this internships truly mattered. I was helping real people out with real issues, whether it was a failed immigration or obtaining a security clearance so they could work and earn an income.
This semester, I interned in Congressman Steny Hoyer’s Greenbelt District Office. The main mission of the district offices, as opposed to the Congressman’s Capitol Hill and Majority Leader offices, is to assist constituents with their federal agency-related issues. A large part of my duties this semester included communicating with constituents, whether that was through the phone, mail, in person, or e-mail. Additionally, I would help Ms. Daryl Pennington, my direct supervisor, with constituent casework. This would include creating new cases, updating the case files online, and drafting and sending privacy release forms, as well as letters to both the constituents and federal agencies. Finally, I opened and sent out mail, worked on special research projects, and drafted greetings.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that my internship experience came to an abrupt halt. While I still work remotely, it isn’t the same or as valuable as in-person work in a government career. Still, this experience had a large impact on my understanding of the functions of federal agencies as well as their pitfalls. Additionally, the work that I did at this internships truly mattered. I was helping real people out with real issues, whether it was a failed immigration or obtaining a security clearance so they could work and earn an income. Finally, This internship had a strong connection with JLT. I came to realize that although the office does not directly get involved with legal cases, we still operate within the findings of the legal system, helping constituents navigate the bureaucracy before they have to turn to the courts. That being said, attaining justice for constituents still remains the office’s main goal.
Hi Julia! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Your project really stood out to me because I am interested in an internship that deals with Congress, and that helps to make a difference in people's lives. I learned that you do not have to come in contact with cases directly in order to make an impact and that the work you did, updating case files and sending emails were still essential to cases in making sure all the little things went smoothly. Do you feel that helping constituents made a bigger impact and that you could directly see the effects of your work at this district office than at the capital hill office?
Hi Julia! Your project really stood out to me since I'm also interested in interning for a congressperson! I hadn't realized that the differences between each office are so stark. If you were able to, would you be interested in interning for a different office?