RA Questions

[smittytron3k]

HYS 1L. I am thinking of applying for a research assistant position with a public policy nonprofit (working through a professor) and have a couple questions:

1) Good idea/bad idea to do this 1st semester? I will also be doing a secondary journal but I'm told that's a fairly small commitment as a 1L.
2) What sort of stuff would you emphasize in the cover letter? I have worked as an RA before (for a professor's consulting firm as an undergrad); obviously I plan to mention this, but how much should I talk about the subject matter of what I researched?

Thanks a ton!