By Haley Bernstein, Justice and Legal Thought
I had an incredible experience in which I was able to explore my passions for social justice and public policy while also gaining incredible analytical and critical thinking skills that will help me prepare for future internships.
This poster describes the internship that I had on Capitol Hill while working in the office of Congressman Bishop Jr. [D-GA-2]. Overall, I had an incredible experience in which I was able to explore my passions for social justice and public policy while also gaining incredible analytical and critical thinking skills that will help me prepare for future internships. Many of my responsibilities included answering all phone calls from constituents, attending hearings and briefings for the Congressman, drafting memos and responses to constituent letters and compiling daily press clips to inform the Congressman and staff of local, national and international news. I really got a great picture of what working in a congressional office is like and the hands-on experiences I received are incomparable to any learning that I have ever had in the classroom regarding federal government and public policy.
Through my internship, I gained a better understanding of the social injustices facing our nation and how legislation and policy can be used to enact change.
I was also able to draw a lot of parallels between my internship and the Justice and Legal Thought program, which was another really interesting aspect about working in Congress. Through my internship, I gained a better understanding of the social injustices facing our nation and how legislation and policy can be used to enact change. Additionally, through this experience in the U.S. Congress, I acquired a different perspective on justice through the lens of working with a congressman that identifies with one political party and represents a state of the opposing political party.
The hands-on experiences I received are incomparable to any learning that I have ever had in the classroom regarding federal government and public policy.
I would highly recommend this internship to anyone interested in law and policy because it is a great way to make networking connections in government and learn more about how legislation is created and passed to help people.
This seemed like a very insightful experience! I was drawn to your poster because I am also interested in social justice issues. Although it is disappointing to see your time on Capitol Hill cut short, I loved hearing about your research with the EMPOWER Act while offsite, due to COVID19. What was it like to balance interning on Capitol Hill with your other responsibilities as a college student? How did you incorporate it into your schedule?
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! This internship was clearly wonderful learning experience due to the fact that you worked in Congress, however, your discussion of the way it taught you about bipartisan cooperation makes it even more so relevant in this time of extreme polarization. Many people see the legal process as one where people support only policies that they believe in 100%, yet compromise is so crucial in keeping the cogs of government turning, even if that means supporting a bill that might not be one's favorite. Great work!
What stood out to me about this is how interesting it must be to intern for a congressperson. What I've learned from this poster is what you do when interning at Congress. It looks like hard work, but it definitely sounds important.
Hi Haley! I was interested in this project because it is also my goal to do an internship in the federal field. From reading your poster and blurb, I learned internships can be very involved but very meaningful in the end. I was wondering how you went about getting your internship and how early you started looking for internships. This was amazing good job!
Hey Haley! I'm interested in your internship because I'd love to become a political journalist in Washington and I'm definitely interested in the federal government. I like learning about the daily schedule of a Congressman and all of the smaller tasks that you completed for him as well, since we usually only hear about the major legislation and discussions in Congress on the news, so it's great that you had that experience. Also, it's great that you worked with and learned about a congressman who frequently works across the aisle on bipartisan legislation. Bipartisan efforts are so important in our polarized political climate. What was the most interesting hearing or briefing you attended for the Congressman?