What do Our Interns do?
Interns are assigned to work with a legislator and/or legislative aide in the House Democratic Offices, Senate Democratic Offices, House Republican Offices, or Senate Republican Offices of the Connecticut General Assembly. Duties will vary from intern to intern, but the most common are:
- Track proposed bills through the legislative process
- Research the history and context of legislative issues or questions
- Research constituent questions and requests
- Outreach to other state agencies
- Draft testimony with the possibility of presenting in front of a committee
- Communication with constituents, CGA staff, and other legislators
- Track meeting minutes
- Assist in Joint Favorable Report writing
- Attend Legislative Session
- Attend public hearings and committee hearings
- Attend press conferences
- Other duties as assigned
Who is Eligible?
All undergraduates enrolled in a two or four year program at a Connecticut based and accredited institution are able to apply. Undergraduates from out of state* and graduate student are not eligible for the program, but are able to volunteer within the CGA or apply as a “non-program” intern.
Additional Student Requirements:
- Must be 18 years old at the start of the program
- Have 20+ undergraduate credits completed at the start of the program
- Students may use up to 3 credit of high school Advanced Placement (AP)
- Maintain 2.7+ GPA
- Register for credit with their institution (specifics will vary by institution)
- Most common campus liaisons can be found here
*Connecticut natives attending university out of state may apply to the program but must directly contact the director (angie.waszkiewicz@cga.ct.gov) beforehand
Schedule
The Legislative Internship Program runs from January to May, corresponding with the spring academic semester and the Legislative Session of the Connecticut General Assembly. Any student applying for the program must be willing to commit to the entire program, from January to May.
The Internship begins with a required two-day Orientation Program and students must attend the entire orientation to participate in the legislative placement. For the 2026 session, the Legislative Internship Program orientation will be January 22nd and 23rd, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut.
Interns work an 8-hour day, most typically 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but student will work with their legislative aide individually. A 30-minute lunch break on the premises is included within the 8-hour day. Interns work Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday for a total of 16 hours per week for 14 weeks. Interns must accrue a minimum of 216 verified field work hours.
Academic Work
Interns are required to complete the following assignments in addition to any related course work their institution assigns.
- 1 Bill Tracking Research Project (10-12 pages and 1 poster)
- 1 Legislative Writing Project (varies)
- 1 Interview Summary with a CGA staff member (3-5 pages)
- 1 Reflection Paper (varies)
More information about assignments will be provided to students throughout the session. These assignments are graded on completion and effort. Students will receive individual comments to help gain experience.
Supplemental Opportunities
In addition to your legislative placement work and required academic work, interns will be offered optional career development workshops, forums, field trips and programs throughout the legislative session.
Mock Session:
Interns role-play a legislative session in the House Chambers during the second half of the program. The mock session process starts with each intern choosing a caucus group (Democrats or Republicans). Caucus groups meet to elect leaders (Speaker of the House, clerk, majority and minority leaders, etc.) Each caucus group works together to choose bills that they will debate in their session. Interns meet weekly in their caucus groups to research, discuss their caucus strategies and arguments. Some interns may perform functions such as learning the rules of order or handling technology to run the vote during session.
Field Trips:
Interns may have the opportunity to visit Connecticut state agencies, Connecticut businesses, the State Supreme Court, Old State House and outside organizations to provide context for the legislative issues they see unfold during the session. Specific sites vary from year to year.
Program Administration
The Connecticut General Assembly Internship Program is administered by the statutorily created Committee on Legislative Staff Internships (CGS-2-84), along with the Internship Committee Director.
The Committee is a bi-partisan body with bi-partisan co-chairs, who alternate between the respective houses in each successive term. Their principal responsibility is the development and oversight of Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) internship program and policies. The Committee conducts all intern interviews and is responsible for intern assignment within the four caucuses. (See Selection and Placement below)
Since 1980, the Committee has retained the services of an administrator to serve as Director. The Director is responsible for the implementation of the Committee’s policies, administration and facilitation of the Legislative Internship Program (LIP), coordination and council of interns, as well as monitoring and reporting on intern performance and evaluation.
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