Tennessee Legislative Internship Program

2023 SESSION OF THE TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Important Note: Applicant’s last name should be included in all saved pdf files. Save the file with the applicant’s name before completing the form. Save all entries and attach the pdf file(s) to an email sent to BakerStudents@utk.edu.

Eligibility

Applicants for the Tennessee Legislative Internship Program must be registered to vote and be enrolled as juniors, seniors, graduate students, or law students in degree programs in political science, law, history, administration, social work, economics, sociology, journalism, or related fields. Applicants should also have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Term

Selected applicants will be appointed as legislative interns for the 2023 session of the TN General Assembly for the period of January 9 until April 28, 2022. (The appointment period is not concurrent with the semester calendar, and school holidays such as spring break are not observed by the General Assembly.)

Stipend

A stipend of $400 per week will be paid to each intern, plus reimbursement for travel between the intern’s home institution and Nashville at the state authorized rate, limited to one round-trip per month. A one-time advance payment of $400 also will be granted to each intern for relocation and adjustment purposes. If there is any change in the amount of stipend paid to each intern as a result of the meeting with the Sponsoring Committee, the students will be notified prior to their arrival. Students should note that all stipend payments including the relocation allowance are treated as taxable income subject to withholding and F.I.C.A.

Academic Credit

UT interns must register for at least 2 credit hours of PS 494 and may register for up to 6 hours of PS 494. This course is graded S/NC. Students also may register for up to 9 hours of PS 492 Off-Campus Study. Requirements for this course (graded A-F) vary with the number of credit hours. No academic credit beyond that awarded for the internship program may be earned during the appointment period if such credit requires attendance in person at regularly scheduled classes.

Duties

Interns will be assigned to work in legislative leadership offices and committees from 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday. Duties will vary from office to office, but may include bill analysis, constituent work, computer and library research, and general office work.

Other Requirements

Interns are expected to attend weekly intern meetings. Examples of speakers have included former governors, Tennessee Supreme Court Justices, and the Tennessee Constitutional Officers as well as many other leaders in state government. Interns also have the opportunity to tour Riverbend maximum-security prison, the State Capitol, and the Bicentennial Mall. Other activities of interest include a visit to the Tennessee Supreme Court, mock legislative session, and competing with legislators in basketball.

Application Procedures

To apply for a legislative internship, UT students should do the following:

Download and complete the application, naming the file with your name and type of file, e.g.: Chris Doe application
Type and save as a separate pdf file a two to three page autobiography as described in the application that will enable the selection committee to learn more about you and your writing skills. Name this file with your name and the type of file, e.g.: Chris Doe autobiography
Scan a current copy of your transcript (not your academic history) and save this as a pdf file with your name and the type of file, e.g. Chris Doe transcript.pdf
Send a copy the appraisal form (or link) to the individuals identified on your application as faculty who will be completing an appraisal form for you. Ask your appraisers to save their file with your name and the word ‘appraisal.’ Please remind each appraiser to submit their file by email attachment to BakerStudents@utk.edu no later than 5pm Sept. 16, 2022.

All Applications with the items above must be completed and submitted electronically (via email attachment) to Jonathan Ring (BakerStudents@utk.edu), the UT faculty representative for the TLIP program, no later than Friday, September 16, 2022 at 5:00pm. Earlier submissions are encouraged! Completed applications include the following five electronic files (file formats must be pdf documents):

Application
2-3 page typed autobiography
A copy of your most recent transcript
Appraisal #1
Appraisal #2
Resume

Everyone who applies will be interviewed by the UT TLIP Selection Committee in late September. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Dr. Jonathan Ring at jring7@utk.edu.

For more information, attend the TLIP Interest Meeting on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at 4:00pm in the Toyota Auditorium of the Baker Center. There will also be an informational table in the Student Union (across from Steak & Shake) on Wednesday, September 7 from 12:00-3:30pm if you cannot attend the Interest Meeting.

Visit the PROgram website

For Students