Senate Committee Counsel Forum

[PantaRhei]

Hi TLS,

Does anyone know how someone could become legal counsel on a House or Senate committee like the Senate Judiciary Committee? I imagine they are extremely competitive and require some prestige, but everything I've found on the topic is vague at best. I began wondering about this after watching an interview with Justice Breyer, in which he discussed his time as the chief counsel for the JC.

Any help would be appreciated. If anyone has information that they'd rather not post, PMs would be ok as well.

Thank you

[Anonymous User]

1) Intern or clerk to develop Hill ties
2) apply https://www.senate.gov/employment/po/positions.htm
3) Be born to or know someone with strong political ties

[Anonymous User]

Hi TLS,

Does anyone know how someone could become legal counsel on a House or Senate committee like the Senate Judiciary Committee? I imagine they are extremely competitive and require some prestige, but everything I've found on the topic is vague at best. I began wondering about this after watching an interview with Justice Breyer, in which he discussed his time as the chief counsel for the JC.

Any help would be appreciated. If anyone has information that they'd rather not post, PMs would be ok as well.

Thank you

Happy to help. I was a former committee staffer before law school.

You seem like you don't have any experience on the Hill (or you would know this area better). So I'll give you some overview.

I see two main paths for you. The first is the conventional staffer route. First, get a job on the Hill. There are three main areas you can be a staffer: for a member, a committee, or leadership. You would likely start in a member's office because of the volume of positions and your lack of experience or connections to leadership or committees. Connect to your home state members or you can try to go through you undergrad/law school state members. Many offices prefer some ties to the state. Usually people intern on the Hill for a bit before they get hired. Yes, it's humbling, but JDs, PhDs, and MAs all do it (I saw many graduate degree holders shocked they were expected to open mail--but you have too). The only main exception to the intern route would be if you came on through a new member's campaign. This being 2018, you might want to consider that immediately. Once hired, then you put in a few years at the LA level and you might be able to be competitive for some committee spots. But beware, committee staffers usually need a pretty heavy level of expertise; i.e., tax attorney for a couple years then Ways and Means, health consultant before Energy and Commerce, etc. It is hard to build that expertise in a member's office, because you are not really dealing in depth as much as breadth (meetings with constituents all day for your 18 issue portfolio). On the House side, committees are where the policy experts are. My impression of Senate counterparts were that Senate committees didn't have as much influence compared to senators office; i.e., better to be banking counsel for a senator instead of being committee counsel on the banking committee (I might be wrong this).

The second route is coming from the off the Hill. This can be done from the executive, or any of those law firm, consultant positions I mentioned. If you want to be a staffer for life, I would get on the Hill ASAP. Once on, you can move around much easier. Idk much about Senate Judiciary, but if I went back I would attack it by starting on the Hill (anywhere), then slowly working towards the committee I wanted. For example, work for any nebreska house member, buddy up to Sen. Sasse's staff, then try to get in the senator's office, until the judiciary portfolio opens up. While that may seem like a long game, turnover on the Hill is very higher (though higher on the House though).

So yeah, my advice is get on the Hill as fast as possible. Don't trie to lateral in from other parts of government or law firms.

[Anonymous User]

Hill (or other political) experience is likely going to be essential. If you don't have pre-existing ties or credentials (e.g., at the minimum, college or law school internships), you may have to start unpaid, or at least lower on the totem pole. Hill jobs are fairly scarce, very desirable,

Do a Google search for "linkedin senate judiciary committee counsel". Take a look at their profiles.

One has six years of experience as a legislative assistant ("LA") in a senator's office before moving to the committee.
Another was a legal fellow (probably unpaid) for the committee for eight months before being hired.
A third was a legal intern (unpaid) and then a legislative correspondent ("LC") for a year before doing legal work.
A fourth worked on Hillary's campaign first.
Another was an LA and then special assistant to a different committee.
Another was a legal and policy fellow (probably unpaid) for six months.

Also, note that many (not all) of these people had biglaw jobs first (W&C, Wilmer DC, Gibson DC, Cleary DC, Quinn...).

[PantaRhei]

Thank you all! All of this information is super useful, and I will definitely take it into consideration.

[Anonymous User]

I found this guide from YLS a while back and it is super informative. Mainly echoes what the above posters said, though.

https://law.yale.edu/system/files/area/ ... public.pdf