CWS Identified Internships

Office of Senator Harriette L. Chandler
Lumpkin Summer Institute for Service Learning – Boston

Senator Harriette L. Chandler ’59 (D-Worcester) was first elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in November of 2000 and was sworn into office on January 3, 2001. She was re-elected to the State Senate in both 2002 and 2004. She serves as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Business. Senator Chandler also serves as Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, and as a member of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing, the Joint Committee on Public Health and the Joint Committee on Housing.

The first woman from Worcester ever to be elected to the Massachusetts State Senate, she served three terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1995-2001. In her last two terms in the House she served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care. She also served on the Worcester School Committee from 1991-1994.

Senator Chandler earned degrees from Wellesley College (B.A.), Clark University (Ph.D.) and the Simmons College Graduate School of Management (M.B.A.). She is married to Worcester attorney Burton Chandler and has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Senator Chandler is a member of the Central Massachusetts Caucus, the Massachusetts Legislature’s Tobacco Control Caucus, the Worcester Economic Development Council, the City Task Force on Crisis Management, the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on At-Risk Youth, the United Way of Central Massachusetts, the Worcester Women’s History Project, the Worcester Democratic City Committee and the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee.

Internship Description:
In this legislative intern position the student will assist the Senator and her staff in a variety of areas, including legislative research, constituent services, and administrative duties. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following:

Legislative Research: Researching bills and current issues, attending hearings, and observing floor action.

Constituent Services: Answering constituent questions with regard to procedure, handling constituent problems, attending district functions/meetings, handling town/city/county problems, researching potential problems, and responding to constituent inquiries.

Administrative Duties: Answering phones, typing, filing, preparing mailings, copying data, office errands, and reading/researching state and local news articles

The summer intern will also have to opportunity to participate in the 2008 Summer Intern Seminar Series. Seminars are scheduled during the months of June and July, usually Monday through Thursday. Through these sessions there will be an opportunity to interact with legislators and their senior staff as through a series of seminars. Topics include current political issues, the press, lobbying, and the roles of the Executive and Judicial branches.

Ideal Internship Qualification: