Job Description of a Legislative Aide
According to the C-SPAN congressional glossary, a legislative assistant "is the staff person who advises a member of Congress on legislative issues." This person's job description however, indicates that there are additional functions to perform.
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Legal Expertise
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As Colorado's Office of Legislative Legal Services points out, there is a need for legislative aides with legal expertise, as these must proofread and do legal research on pending legislation.
Writing and Editing
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Legislative aides must be able to write floor speeches for legislative members, draft press releases, answer constituent letters and perform editorial work on various office or government publications.
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Tracking Legislation
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As part of their duties, legislative assistants monitor the progress of bills in committee as well as votes on the House or Senate floor. Further, they coordinate co-sponsorship for various pieces of legislation.
People Skills
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Legislative aides often meet with and listen to the concerns of constituents, interest groups, legislative committees and other members of the legislator's staff. They must, therefore, be able to work well with other people.
Stress and Long Hours
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It is necessary for legislative assistants to work under stressful conditions created by time demands and deadlines. They are required to keep their schedules flexible and must be available to work nights and weekends.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Will Palmer
