Legislative Intern

Position: Legislative Intern
Supervisor: Director of Government Relations 
Location: Albany, NY 
Hours: 35 hours/week 
Start Date: December 5, 2023 

WHO WE ARE

The Adirondack Council is the leading organization for preserving the wildlands, air and water of the Adirondack Park for nature and for people. The Council has offices in Elizabethtown and Albany and supporters in all 50 states who care deeply about protecting wilderness and wildlife and fostering vibrant local communities. Through fact-based advocacy, the Council secures public and private actions that ensure the legacy we inherited over 100 years ago remains a national treasure for current and future generations.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

The goals for the Adirondack Council Clarence Petty Legislative Intern include helping advance the Council’s mission, vision, values, and government relations priorities while serving the state’s largest environmental advocacy organization dedicated to the protection of the Adirondack Park. 

The intern will provide Government Relations and Communications support in a fully integrated staff position, performing a wide spectrum of duties that advance the Adirondack Council’s program plan. Tasks will include everything from routine day-to-day administrative activities to legislative correspondence and in-depth research. The Adirondack Council sponsors interns to help develop the next generation of environmental conservation professionals. 

Typical responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: 

• Tracking all legislation pertaining to the Adirondack Council’s mission/vision using the NYS Legislative Retrieval System (training provided at the beginning of the internship) 
• Track all relevant legislation including monitoring daily legislative changes
• Analyze and report legislative actions in an expedient and timely manner
• Meet with supervisor weekly to review legislation and prepare memos in support/opposition Manage legislative correspondence with the guidance and partnership of the supervisor 
• Keep track of all correspondence with the legislature (memos, letters, etc.)
• Deliver memos and letters to legislators and staff
• Schedule meetings with legislators and staff as requested by the supervisor
• Help organize days of advocacy with partner organizations
• Prepare a weekly cheat sheet and calendar for reference, when requested
• Support the ongoing work of the Government Relations team with research
• Monitor and distribute relevant media clips to all staff
• Provide team support in general functions that keep the office running 

Goals/Opportunities 

• Learn about the Albany political landscape and environmental advocacy 
• Learn about the history of the Adirondack Park and Adirondack Council 
• Study legislation and state budget initiatives pertaining to the Adirondack Park 
• Engage with Legislators and staff regarding relevant Adirondack Park issues
• Become a registered lobbyist and participate in Lobby Day(s)
• Take part in professional networking opportunities
• Specific individual goals (to be completed by the intern and their supervisor) 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree and expressed interest in legislative affairs and environmental policy 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently, pay close attention to details, and remain well organized
• Ability to work as part of a team and successfully communicate with fellow staff to achieve common goals 

Additional Information 

• Interns will work 35 hours per week and receive $15.86 per hour of work, with pay periods twice per month 

Interested applicants must submit a resume and completed survey by Friday, October 13, 2023 to: aprivitera@adirondackcouncil.org.  

If internet access is unavailable for submission, a hard copy may be dropped off at the Council’s Albany address at 342 Hamilton Ave. Floor 1. The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. 

The Adirondack Council is a member based not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the ecological integrity and wild character of the Adirondack Park.  

We are committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.  

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: Based in Elizabethtown, NY (30 miles east of Lake Placid), the mission of the Adirondack Council is to ensure the ecological integrity and wild character of New York’s six-million-acre Adirondack Park for current and future generations. We envision an Adirondack Park with clean water and air and large wilderness areas, surrounded by working farms and forests and vibrant local communities. To protect the Adirondacks, the Council uses the best science, the law, and an understanding of political decision-making, to educate, inform and motivate the public and those who make public policy. We are committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

The Adirondack Council is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants receive equal consideration without regard to age, race, color, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, handicap, or disability. Employees are selected on the basis of their individual qualifications and ability to fulfill the requirements of the job. The same considerations apply to promotions, pay increases, and all other conditions of employment with the Adirondack Council.