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A legislative assistant (LA), legislative analyst, legislative research assistant, or legislative associate, is a person who works for a legislator as a legislative staffer in a semi-political partisan capacity, in a non-partisan capacity at a think tank, research library, law library, law firm, trade associations, consulting firm or non-profit organization, or at a government agency as a legislative affairs professional, or in the government relations, regulatory affairs, public procurement (PP), public-private partnership (P3), and business-to-government (B2G) industries in service of the employing organization by monitoring pending legislation, conducting research, legislative analysis, legislative research, legal research, policy analysis, drafting legislation, giving advice and counsel, making recommendations, and performing some secretarial duties. There is a diverse array of work experiences attainable within the legislative assistance, legislative affairs, and legislative relations field, ranging between internship, entry-level, associate, junior, mid-senior, and senior level positions.[1][2]
In the United States
Congressional staff
Members of the United States Congress (both in the House of Representatives and Senate), as well as most members of other legislative bodies of sub-national subdivisions (states, cities, counties), have multiple legislative assistants who at the basic level are tasked in handling research and briefing (both verbal briefing and written memoranda) duties while legislative assistants that are advanced in their education or careers will advise on issues related to their particular expertise (e.g. education policy, environmental policy, tax policy). Often the assignments will be connected to the committee assignments of the specific elected member for which they work for in a semi-political partisan capacity. The research, think tank, and library divisions of legislative bodies, such as the Library of Congress and the Congressional Research Service at the national level also utilize legislative analysts and legislative research assistants in providing non-partisan and at times confidential research and advice to members of the legislature and their (immediate) staff while not working directly under the direction, supervision, or authority of a specific elected political-partisan legislator or as committee staff but working on behalf of the legislature as a whole in a non-partisan capacity.
In most offices that report to a specific legislator, there is one staffer, variously called a legislative director (LD) or senior legislative assistant, who is in charge of all legislative assistants in the office. A person holding an internship level position while performing the duties of a legislative assistant is known as a legislative intern.
Some practitioners have questioned the lack of a federal congressional clerkship program equivalent to the counterpart position of law clerk within the judiciary, finding that few top law school graduates seriously consider becoming a federal legislative lawyer (legislative attorney or legislative counsel similar to that of parliamentary counsel) working as a legislative aid with a license to practice law, a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, or comparable law school education to gain practical lawyering skills after graduation, although positions albeit not in the form of a clerkship, still exist.[3]
Legislative Affairs
Government agencies and cabinet departments in the United States have subsidiary offices of legislative affairs or congressional relations, that act as a liaison between government agencies and a legislature, to advocate on behalf of the agency, and to analyze legislation to bring the agency into compliance with new directives, laws, and regulations set forth by the legislature. Some possible positions within an "Office of Legislative Affairs," that participate in legislative assistance are legislative affairs specialists, legislative affairs analysts, congressional affairs specialists, congressional relations liaisons, legislative affairs paralegals, lawyers, and program analysts to name a few.
Private Sector, Think Thanks, and Lobbying
The private sector and voluntary sector including both for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations, make use of legislative assistants, legislative associates, legislative researchers, legislative paralegal specialists, or adjacent positions such as government relations specialists, specialized secretaries, administrative support specialists, program assistants, program analysts, paralegals, legal secretaries, policy analysts, policy assistants, public policy coordinators, executive assistants, administrative assistants, project assistants, program coordinators, program support specialists, management analysts, research assistants, or lawyers within their advocacy, government relations, lobbying, regulatory affairs, public procurement (PP), public-private partnership (P3), and business-to-government (B2G) divisions as well as in think tanks, consulting firms, law firms, research libraries, law libraries and trade associations whether it be in a politically-partisan or non-partisan capacity in service of the employing organization’s needs.
In France
In France, this position was formally opened after Edgar Faure visited the United States Congress in 1975.[4] The assistants can also work on the non-legislative part of the MP job, such as managing transportation between Paris and the constituency, or handling a part of the MP's public relations.
In European Parliament
Following his election, an MEP can submit to the European Parliament one or more application and contract for the secretarial assistance allowance. Sometimes the submission has given way to criminal prosecution of the MEP, who falsely declared the duties of the assistant or diverted part of the financial flux to himself.[5]
In India
In India, legislative assistants are recruited annually through a programme called the Legislative Assistants to Members of Parliament Fellowship (LAMP Fellowship). This program, initiated by PRS Legislative Research, was conceptualized by the Constitution Club of India in 2010. Every year, 50 candidates are selected and assigned to 50 Members from both the Houses of the Parliament. The selected candidates work as legislative assistants to the members for 11 months and receive a monthly stipend.[6][7]
Education and Skills
Many legislative assistants or those that work in adjacent industries like regulatory affairs, government relations, lobbying, think tanks, research libraries, etc. usually have a higher education degree (bachelor's, minors, concentrations, graduate certificates, master's, or doctoral degrees) in Political Science - its sub-fields such as Public Policy and Public Administration, International Relations, Security Studies -, other disciplines such as Global Studies, Environmental Studies, Law, Economics, Management, Sociology, Criminology, Sociology of Law, Social Work, School of Education, Health Administration, Peace and Conflict Studies, Urban Studies, Urban Planning, Legal Studies, Literature and Creative Writing, History, Philosophy, Business Administration, other Social Sciences, and other subject-matter specific education.[1][2]
Career Field and Alterative Titles
There are several subdivisions within the Legislative Assistance Career Field with a diversity of job titles as well other career fields that conduct some form of legislative assistance work.
- Legislative Assistant
- Legislative Director or Senior Legislative Assistant
- Legislative Intern
- Legislative Analyst
- Legislative Research Assistant
- Legislative Counsel, Legislative Attorney, or Parliamentary Counsel
- Legislative Affairs Specialist, Legislative Affairs Analyst, Congressional Affairs Specialist, or Congressional Relations Liaison
- Legislative Affairs Paralegal, Legislative Paralegal Specialist, Legislative Affairs Paralegal Specialist, Legislative Paralegal, Legislative Legal Assistant
- Legislative Associate
- Legislative Researcher
- Most positions in an Office of Legislative Affairs, Office of Congressional Relations, Office of Legislative Relations, or Office of Intergovernmental Relations
- Government Relations, Regulatory Affairs, Think Tanks, Policy Institutes, Law Firms, Libraries, Consulting Firms, Trade Associations, Public Procurement (PP), Public-Private Partnership (P3), Business-to-Government (B2G), or similar industries:
- Government Relations Specialist, Government Affairs Specialist, Government Affairs Assistant
- Secretary, Specialized Secretary, Administrative Assistant, Program Assistant, Program Analyst, Executive Assistant, Project Assistant, Program Support Specialist, Program Coordinator, or Management Analyst
- Policy Analyst, Policy Assistant, Public Policy Assistant, or Public Policy Coordinator
- Paralegal, Legal Assistant, Paralegal Specialist, or Legal Secretary
- Lawyer, Attorney, or General Counsel
- Librarian, Research Librarian, Law Librarian
- Regulatory Affairs Specialist
- Research Assistant
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