Executive Division
Policy & Legislation – Albany
Graduate Student Assistant for Policy & Legislation Reference No. P&L_ALB_PUGS_2024
Application Deadline is July 31, 2024*
Paid, Part-Time Placement for Graduate Students During the Academic Year 2024-2025
The Policy & Legislation (P&L) team in the Executive Division of the Office of the New York State Attorney General (OAG) is seeking applications from graduate students who are interested in the areas of government, public policy, and/or political science for a paid, part-time placement during the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year. Applicants must be available to work mid-October 2024 through mid-June 2025.
The P&L team is primarily responsible for developing and managing the OAG’s legislative agenda and preparing the Attorney General for policy or legislation-focused events. P&L collaborates with OAG Bureaus to generate legislation and policy ideas, advances the Office’s policy priorities by working with members of the legislature and relevant stakeholders, and tracks legislation and budget bills that impact the OAG. Please be advised that P&L collaborates with legal bureaus but does not itself engage in legal casework.
Duties:
- Track legislation that is relevant to the OAG;
- Ensure OAG Bureaus have access to weekly legislative agendas and collect feedback on relevant bills to input into the legislative tracking software;
- Monitor local and national news sources to identify issues that are relevant to the OAG;
- Conduct policy research and draft supportive documents including memos;
- Attend and document internal OAG meetings and external legislative meetings on relevant legislation; and
- Support other duties and projects as needed/assigned.
Qualifications:
- Applicants must be enrolled in a full-time graduate degree program;
- Research, writing, and organizational skills;
- Knowledge of and/or interest in the legislative process, particularly the New York State Legislature;
- Flexibility, including self-managing competing priorities and multiple time-sensitive tasks simultaneously;
- Highly collaborative with effective interpersonal and communication skills;
- Proficiency in Word, Excel, and Outlook; and
- Experience using the legislative tracking software is a plus.
Placement Details
- The format of this placement is hybrid. The selected student must be available to report to the OAG’s Capitol office located in Albany, New York two or three (2-3) days per week. On the days students will be working remotely, they will need to have access to a reliable computer, a secure internet connection, a phone, and a sufficiently quiet and private workspace to telework.
- To be eligiblefor a paid placement, applicants must be able to demonstrate they are full-time graduate students in good academic standing as defined by their schools.
- Applicants must be available to work 15-20 hours per week during regular business hours from mid-October through mid-June. The selected student must be available to begin their placement on October 15, 2024.
- The selected student will be hiredas a student assistant and paid hourlyat the graduate student rate, which is $17.55.
- Applications will be received online until July 31, 2024, and offers will be made on a rolling basis.*
- U.S. citizenship and NYS residencyare not required, but applicants must be eligibleto be employed in the U.S.
- Applicants are encouraged to learn more about the OAG prior to submitting their applications by visiting the Divisions and Bureaus and Media sections of the OAG website.
How to Apply
The following section provides detailed information about the application process and application requirements. Please review the complete list of instructions prior to preparing and submitting your application materials online.
- Applications for this placement are being received online. To apply, please click on the following link: P&L_ALB_PUGS_2024
- The following four (4) documents are required for each application that is submitted: (Click on the document name to learn more)
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Cover Letter
- You may address your letter to the Legal Recruitment Unit.
- Indicate why you are interested in a placement with the OAG and what makes you a strong candidate.
- Indicate your availability and preferred work schedule.
- Resume
– Ensure your resume is complete and current prior to submitting your application.
3. List of three (3) references.
- Submit only professional (i.e., supervisor or professor) references.
- For each reference, indicate the nature and duration of your relationship.
- Include contact information and email addresses for each reference.
- Please note that your references will not be contacted until after you interview for the placement.
4. Writing Sample
- Select a sample from an assignment you prepared for school that demonstrates your ability to analyze and organize information into an effective document.
- We recommend submitting a sample that is 3-6 pages in length.
- Failure to submit a complete application will delay the consideration of your candidacy.
- Please submit your application for a fall placement at least three (3) weeks prior to any deadlines that could impact your candidacy and note this in your cover letter.
If you have questions about a placement with the OAG, the application processor need assistance with submitting your application, please contact Legal Recruitment via email at recruitment@ag.ny.gov.