legislative assistant job description

Serves as a primary on-the-record spokesperson for the Senator, oversees interview requests and briefings; fields and responds to media inquiries, coordinates state press events. Drafts congratulatory notes on behalf of the Senator, and manages special projects for the Legislative Director. Leads tours of the Capitol to constituent groups. Utilized the Congressional Research Service/Federal Register to track bill history and legislative process. Accompanies Senator on visits throughout the state. In this excerpt that we gathered from a legislative assistant resume, you'll understand why: "journalists should be able to use editing equipment and other broadcast-related devices" According to resumes we found, computer skills can be used by a legislative assistant in order to "experience in computerized legal research. The job of legal administrative assistants is to provide support to lawyers and paralegals. Establishes office personnel policies and procedures for Washington and state offices in accordance with rules and regulations of the United States Senate. Organizes and staffs press events; develops and maintains relationships with reporters, editors, and producers; works closely with other members of the communications and legislative teams to pitch stories. Drafts bills and amendments related to assigned issues, monitors legislative developments, and recommends strategies and tactics on bills and amendments. Coordinates military academy appointments. According to legislative assistant resumes that we searched through, legislative assistants are hired the most by My Florida Regional Mls, Florida Department of Transportation, and Earthjustice. Identify and monitor district specific issues. HV[8~pD 4vU,0!tHc'4m+9N89mW?OWw \'"y8,cJZg(( Enters constituent mail into the offices correspondence management system. Take law examiner for example. Track and analyze all outside legislation that impact the Medicaid program. The following are some essential prerequisites to becoming a legislative assistant: While many candidates secure a position as a legislative assistant after obtaining a diploma in paralegal studies, some employers require an undergraduate degree as a minimum entry point. In either case, theyre tasked with keeping their boss informed about whats happening in Congress so they can make smart decisions about how to vote on proposed legislation. Ensures that casework is performed in a timely fashion. Conducts analysis of web statistics and social media analytics. They may communicate with members of Congress, constituents, lobbyists and other staff members. Under the direction of the Chief of Staff, the Legislative Assistant will assist in the management . Builds coalitions on various initiatives to ensure legislative successes. They will also need to be able to effectively communicate with other members of the legislative team, such as lobbyists and lawyers. Susan B. Anthony List. In fact, law researchers salary difference is $1,464 lower than the salary of legislative assistants per year. Build a professional legislative assistant resume in minutes. The following are some of the most common areas of employment for legislative assistants: The Senate and the House of Representatives are the largest employers of legislative assistants. Oversees development of vote recommendations; creates and implements long- and short-term legislative priorities. The estimated total pay for a Legislative Assistant at United States House of Representatives is $85,991 per year. In general, legislative aides reach similar levels of education when compared to legislative assistants resumes. %PDF-1.5 % Legislative assistants need a minimum bachelor's degree in political science, communications, public administration, or another related field. Develops and drafts press releases, columns, op-eds, speeches, newsletters, and talking points. Accordingly, legislative assistants must answer constituent inquiries and present reports to keep the legislator informed on all relevant matters about their constituency. To be successful as a legislative assistant, aspiring candidates should have a keen interest in public service and the legislative process while possessing a well-rounded skillset. The successful candidate will gain significant exposure to and ownership of legislation, advocacy, trade association work, and political engagement. Supervises and ensures daily office coverage at reception desk and mailroom. They may also earn additional compensation in the form of bonuses. Advises committee staff on legislative and oversight matters, and assists in the development of policy positions and legislative initiatives for the committee. Communication: Communication skills are necessary for legislative assistants to have, as they often communicate with many different people throughout the day. Accordingly, they must have excellent interpersonal skills and communicate effectively verbally, over the phone, and via email. Manage office social media accounts including facebook, wordpress and twitter. They supervise interns and volunteers and organize the legislators schedule and travel arrangements. hbbd```b``"j@$Sd-,oA$c Legislative Assistants Will Become More Important. Schedules and chairs state office staff meetings. Required fields are marked *. Note: Interest Cards will not be sent out if a job classification is being recruited . A legislative assistant is also responsible for managing communications and public relations on behalf of the legislator. A few become legislators themselves. Forecasts, prepares and oversees administrative budget. This is in accordance with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meets with constituent groups related to committee business; acts as liaison with other committees, House staff, government agencies and outside interest and advocacy groups. Prepares statements and talking points for committee members on pending legislation and hearing topics. But if you're interested in companies where you might earn a high salary, legislative assistants tend to earn the biggest salaries at Earthjustice, Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, and City of Jacksonville. Coordinates with appropriate state office staff concerning relevant scheduling issues. In fact, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 8.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree. Legislative Assistants in America make an average salary of $45,614 per year or $22 per hour. Legislative assistants juggle multiple duties at once, making it crucial to multitask effectively while managing their time. ", Legislative assistants are also known for interpersonal skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. Draft and direct a successful legislative initiative to improve Medicare coverage of treatments for cancer. Plan, schedule and execute major projects associate with policy and oversight. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of legislative processes on the local, state and federal levels. Legislators play a crucial role in citizens daily lives by passing bills and laws that can profoundly shape our daily lives. Assists professional staff in developing legislative initiatives including original research, and editing of final drafts. Employer job listings tend to list Documentation, Human Resources Experience, Innovation, Clerical Skills, Detail Oriented, Law Enforcement, Communication Skills, Technical, Compliance, Administrative Support, Instruction or MS Office as requirements in Legislative Assistant job descriptions; however, job seekers mention them far less frequently on their resumes. According to a legislative assistant resume, "reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts must be able to report the news." Ensures system security and staff compliance with Senate cybersecurity requirements. Job Description. These skills include "policy issues," "press releases," and "legislative process. Their primary job is to assist the elected official in the legislative process and help them create and pass laws that benefit the community. Manages day-to-day legislative activities of the committee including hearings and reports, negotiations with majority or minority staff, approves strategy and tactics on bills and amendments relating to committee jurisdiction from professional staff members and counsel. Another vital aspect of a legislative assistants job is meeting and interacting with constituents and conducting research about their needs and concerns. Once you've become a legislative assistant, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Monitors all official accounts, prepares and processes vouchers for transmittal to Senate Disbursing Office. endstream endobj 248 0 obj <>stream Maintains constituent and visitor guest book. As legislative assistants become more important, they will need to develop new skills in order to be successful. They may also need to communicate with others via phone, email or instant messaging. As legislative research becomes more important, legislative assistants will need to develop expertise in this area. These may include the constituents, other legislators, lobbyists, and other legislative staff. Supports the set-up, execution and management of committee hearings, mark-ups, business meetings and committee projects. Now you have the answer to the question, what does a legislative assistant do? In the United States, they provide essential support services to members of the House and senators and are an integral part of running the legislative process. Attend weekly senate meetings and plan monthly hall events for 530 residents. When compared to other jobs, legislative assistant careers are projected to have a growth rate described as "decline" at -10% from 2018 through 2028. Reviews and responds to Senators personal incoming and outgoing correspondence. Supports committee staff in preparing, organizing, and holding hearings and other events, including preparing witness lists and briefing materials; contacting and assisting witnesses; compiling background information and materials and distributing and monitoring hearing testimony. Reviews legal memoranda drafted by staff for submission to staff director and committee members. Whether youre moving cities or want to continue with a different degree, follow our guide on how to transfer credit to another college to save time and money. Find out what a legislative assistant does, how to get this job, and what it takes to succeed as a legislative assistant. Develops methods to process, manage, archive and store all electronic data. In order to be successful, legislative assistants will need to be able to work quickly and efficiently while maintaining high-quality results. Conducts research in one or more of the following areas to obtain relevant information: fiscal, economic, non-technical legal, legislative, and publications. Maintains and troubleshoots office network, and manages the Active Directory. They will also need to be able to work well under pressure and manage multiple tasks at once. Ensures committee systems integrity through continual monitoring of critical updates, service packs and virus definitions; performs computer backup procedures, utilizes remote access; maintains overall committee network security. Updates Senators website and social media sites; uses analytics to evaluate and evolve the offices digital efforts; designs and executes digital media campaigns. Some jobs you might find interesting include a law examiner, law researcher, legal administrator, and legislative aide. They can work for state or federal lawmakers, or they can work for non-profit organizations that advocate for certain causes. Creates and edits content for video production and graphic design. Take Earthjustice for example. The ideal candidate will have excellent research, writing, and communication skills, as well as the ability to multitask and work well under pressure. Develops video scripts; tape, edit, and coordinate television satellite feeds. You may also need to notice changes in a persons mood or tone of voice and adjust your communication style accordingly. Works directly with constituents to resolve problems with the Federal Government (i.e., Veterans, Social Security, IRS, etc. Administers and maintains domains and physical networks. Reviews invitations and prepares responses. Maintains relationships with media outlets and monitors media coverage. Legislative assistants will need to be able to quickly and accurately find information about current legislation, as well as track down historical data. Screens incoming telephone calls, and coordinates conference calls. Orders and maintains inventory of supplies and office equipment. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a legislative assistant resume: "to develop contacts and conduct interviews, reporters need to build good relationships with many people" We also found this. As the Legislative Assistant, in the Government Affairs organization, you will be responsible for advocacy and research support working with the State and Federal team. So what does a legislative assistant do, and why are their support services so crucial for legislators? From maintaining office operations like taking calls and messages to managing schedules and making travel arrangements for the legislator, legislative assistants are typically required to perform various administrative support functions. Here are three trends influencing how legislative assistants work. Provides administrative support to committee staff by answering phones, greeting and screening office visitors, and ensuring that requests for assistance are efficiently processed. Assists the Staff Director by providing administrative support for meetings, hearings, markups, floor debate, and conference session. Serves as liaison with Senate Legal Counsel, Committee on Rules and Administration, and Ethics Committee. Some assistants move on to become lobbyists for special interest groups or public relations specialists. At Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, legislative assistants earn an average of $75,269, while the average at City of Jacksonville is $64,897. Legislative assistants often have to review and revise documents, so attention to detail is an important skill for this job. Legislative assistants have a great deal of contact with the public, so they must be able to communicate effectively and have excellent people skills. Ensures Senator adheres to daily schedule. Formulates general letters for response to correspondence of a similar nature. The work is all day and can regularly run additional time. Legislative helpers work for representatives or congresspersons at the state and government levels, and there is regularly a group of associates. Set service appointments, provide customer service, answer phones, cashier for cash office. Prepared monthly forecasts and pipeline reports, using CRM and other Microsoft s tools/resources. hmo6 Manage daily operation of Olympia and/or district office. Drafts mailings to constituency on issues of importance. Effective written and oral communication skills, Word processing skills necessary to work with speed and accuracy, Knowledge of computer chart, graph and table formatting, Familiarity with legislative, administrative and judicial systems. Assists with compiling speeches, floor statements, and articles as enclosures with letters from Senator. Advises Senator, Chief of Staff, and State Director of specific cases requiring their personal involvement. Delivers speeches at events in-state when Senator cannot be present. As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a legislative assistant responsibility requires skills such as "policy issues," "press releases," "legislative process," and "committee hearings." As long as the legislature exists, legislative assistants will remain in demand. You may also review the Congressional Research Services report on Congressional Staff Duties, Qualifications, and Skills. Serve as a liaison between the Representative and constituents of the, Legislative District; exercising independent judgment to determine and implement appropriate courses of action. The three companies that hire the most prestigious, Learn More About Legislative Assistant Job Descriptions, Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your.