Summer Internships Available
(Openings: Summer 2010 Internships)
Deadline for Applications is December 18, 2009
Legislative Analyst's Office
Sacramento, California
Background
The Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO)
provides nonpartisan fiscal and policy analysis to the California
Legislature and has done so for over 65 years. The LAO (1) assists
the Legislature in all aspects of the budget process, through its
analytical and oversight activities; (2) responds to legislative
requests for information and analysis of the state’s budget and
programs; and (3) conducts independent studies and produces
self-generated reports on topics of importance to the state.
Additional information about the LAO can be found on our Web site at
http://www.lao.ca.gov.
The LAO operates a 12-week summer
internship program as part of its overall recruiting strategy. These
internships provide a rigorous analytical experience for individuals
who (1) have completed the first year of a two-year graduate program
in public policy, public or business administration, economics, or
some other program that provides both a quantitative and policy
analytical curriculum, and (2) are interested in becoming full-time
fiscal and policy analysts after graduation. The internship pays
$2,650 per month. Benefits are not provided.
Current LAO employees who were summer interns: (left
to right) Lori Hsu (Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst);
Jennifer Kuhn (Director, K-12 Education Section); and Minsun Park
and Meredith Wurden (Fiscal and Policy Analysts)
Duties and Responsibilities
The intern’s primary responsibility is to complete an analytical
product over a 12-week period resulting in either:
- A stand-alone product that the LAO will publish.
- A draft product that the LAO will incorporate into a larger
product it intends to publish.
- An internal memo describing the analysis performed over the
summer, findings and recommendations, and the implications for a
broader study that the LAO is conducting or considering.
During the summer, we expect the intern to quickly gather,
evaluate, and analyze information on the assigned project, by
conducting independent research and, in most cases, interviewing
stakeholders. Typically, research projects involve travel within
California. In addition, interns perform quantitative analysis on a
policy issue and apply the policy analytical techniques learned in
their graduate programs to a practical issue facing the State of
California.
Interns work under the direct supervision of a senior or
principal fiscal and policy analyst.
At the end of the program, the intern will give a presentation on
their work to executive staff at the LAO.
Intern Projects
The LAO attempts to select projects that are of interest to the intern and/or in
a policy area in which the intern already has some expertise.
In the summer of 2008, our interns worked on the following projects:
-
An analysis of ways to improve the office’s
ability to forecast California personal income tax revenues
generated from capital gains and stock options.
-
An analysis of ways to improve the
effectiveness of county probation systems in California.
In the summer of 2009,
our interns worked on the following projects:
-
An analysis of recent reforms to California
workers' compensation program.
-
An analysis of
California's system for educating deaf and hard of hearing
students.
-
An analysis of energy and water
conservation programs in California.
Application and Selection Process
The LAO is now accepting applications for this position. Applicants should submit
a letter, resume, and three references (name, relationship, and phone number only)
to:
LAO.Employment@lao.ca.gov
Candidates selected for interviews will be contacted by phone or e-mail for purposes
of scheduling the interview, which can occur by phone or in person. Candidates not
selected for interviews will be notified by e-mail.
Interviews will take place in December 2009
and January 2010. Offers will be extended by March 2010.
Questions on this position or about the LAO should be directed to
Larry Castro, Manager for Administration
and Human Resources (larry.castro@lao.ca.gov)
or call (916) 319‑8304.
The LAO
is an equal opportunity employer.