Senator Murray is seeking paid legislative interns in her Washington, DC office. Applicants should be eager to learn more about the legislative process, and want to be part of a hardworking team, dedicated to serving the citizens of Washington State.

**As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all internship programs will be conducted remotely until further notice. Relocating to the DC area for DC internships is not necessary, nor is relocating to Seattle, Spokane, or Vancouver for state internships. Should you have any questions about this, please contact the appropriate intern coordinator.**

Qualifications

Students with strong ties to the state of Washington will be given preference in the application process. Interns should be interested in government and have excellent writing and research skills, a positive attitude and a willingness to complete tasks as assigned. Legislative and Constituent Service interns must be willing to work at a variety of activities, and have the ability to work independently and as part of a team. For press interns, a communications or journalism background is preferred.

Program Outline

In order to best accommodate all applicants, internship sessions are scheduled both on academic quarters and semesters (i.e., an intern could work either a semester or quarter internship, based on their academic institution’s credit system). Internships are available for school credit if approved by a college/university. We encourage Washington, DC interns to work full time (40 hours/week), though this is not a requirement. In our state offices, internships are available primarily on a part-time basis (10-15 hours/week).

Communications Internship

The DC communications internship is designed for budding political communications professionals. Interest in press and communications is requisite, including (i) social media, press releases, speechwriting, op-ed writing, and media outreach (ii) an interest in public policy and (iii) a desire to learn. Excellent candidates will demonstrate strong attention to detail, work well under pressure, be self-motivated, and possess excellent written and oral communication skills. Writing and research experience preferred, policy issues will vary.

Application Procedure

Applicants may ONLY apply online using the DC application, located through the external link on Handshake. In addition to the application, the following supporting materials are required for online submission:

• Cover letter & Resume
• 2 Letters of Recommendation
• Writing sample (1 page max):
• Communications internship prompt: Choose a bill Senator Murray has previously introduced, sponsored, or cosponsored. Draft either a press release, op-ed, or short speech as if you were a Senator announcing your support for the bill. Please keep all writing samples to 1 page maximum and indicate which prompt you are doing at the top of the document.

For more information on a Washington, D.C. internship, please contact:

Jason Edwards, Intern Coordinator

Office of Senator Patty Murray

154 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

(202) 224-2621

e-mail: dcinternship@murray.senate.gov

Upcoming Application Deadlines for Internships:

April 4th, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PST for Summer 2021 (June-September)

August 1st, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PST for Fall 2021 (March – May)

November 7th, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. PST for Winter/Spring 2022 (January-May)

Late applications may be considered if positions have not yet been filled, but must be submitted with all supporting documents to dcinternship@murray.senate.gov if applying to the Washington, D.C office and to interncoordinator@murray.senate.gov if applying to a Washington state office