When most people think about the role of an intern, coffee runs, endless notetaking, answering the phone, and more mundane tasks may come to mind. However, here at the American Bar Association’s Governmental Affairs Office, mundane is far from the words I would use to describe the internship experience. An internship with the GAO is fulfilling, exciting, enriching, and provides young professionals with the opportunity to make a real difference.
From their first day, an intern is immersed in the culture of the workplace. In the GAO, collaboration is everything, and a welcoming, encouraging environment proves that. Weekly staff meetings provide a platform for every individual to speak (yes, even interns!). In this space, coworkers share updates on current projects, pertinent political developments, and simply take an hour to be present with each other. This camaraderie extends into day-to-day office interactions. As an intern, I’ve always felt like a part of the team— valued, capable, and contributing.
Working with the GAO is more than sitting at your desk. Interns are regularly tasked with attending congressional hearings. It is surreal to walk past members of Congress in the Rayburn House Office Building as they are in session knowing that they are at work and so are you. In addition to hearings, interns may also join lobbyists from the GAO in meetings. Despite working downtown, as an intern, you’ll spend a great deal of time on Capitol Hill. I’ve become privy to the inner workings of our government and even shaken the hands of senators.
When you’re not in Congress’s neighborhood, your assigned work is diverse and important. You might be creating graphics for digital marketing use or researching legislation for a lobbyist; you might be writing an article for the GAO’s award-winning Washington Letter or reaching out to local law firms. Your work is never busywork. Your research will be utilized, your graphics posted, and your articles edited and published. Director Holly Cook always takes time out of her schedule to provide detailed feedback on your writing, no matter how inconsequential you believe a submission to be. If you are lucky enough to intern with the GAO during the springtime, your work will revolve around the association’s largest annual lobby day, ABA Day. Seeing the efforts of your team pay off as the semester culminates in an immensely successful event is a rewarding and lasting feeling.
Beyond your tasks, interning with the GAO will bring unique opportunities in front of you. My supervisors always told me that they hoped I got more out of my internship than they got out of me; learning about and enjoying the city I was living in was my top priority. They opened doors for me with an invite to a Legal Services Corporation reception in the Supreme Court, a tour of the Library of Congress, dinner in the U.S. Botanic Gardens, and constant encouragement to close my computer and wander D.C.
Interning with the American Bar Association’s Governmental Affairs Office has made me into a more critical thinker, a better collaborator, and well-prepared to enter the career world. I’ll leave our nation’s capital with valuable connections and irreplaceable memories.