Office of Councilmember Patricia Kernighan, Oakland City Council

Oakland is a mid-size California city located on San Francisco Bay. With a population of about 400,000, Oakland is one of the most demographically diverse cities in the nation. Its elected legislative body is the City Council, which sets policy that guides the administrative departments of the City and adopts budgets to fund services provided to its residents, businesses and institutions.

The Council is comprised of seven members each of whom represents a separate geographic district, and one at-large member. Councilmember Patricia Kernighan represents District 2, which is the most demographically diverse of all the districts. Among its various neighborhoods is Chinatown, a large Vietnamese community and other Asian communities.

Councilmembers are supported by a small staff. Their main offices are located in City Hall in downtown Oakland.

Internship Description for 2012

A summer internship is available to a qualified undergraduate student to work approximately 37.5 hours per week under the supervision of the District 2 Chief of Staff. The internship will expose the intern to a wide variety of issues that characterize a Council office’s workload generally and District 2 in particular. Servicing constituents requesting information or assistance in navigating the bureaucracy is a substantial part of the work load of a Council office. Researching subject matter for possible legislation that the Councilmember may introduce is another major activity. Attending community meetings to address community issues involves significant time. The workload of an intern will vary depending on immediate demands on the Councilmember and her agenda.

The selected candidate will be both supervised and mentored by District 2 Chief of Staff Jennie Gerard ’66. Ms. Gerard has been working with Wellesley students interning in the Bay Area for the past 10 years.

Desired Qualifications

Candidates with an interest in elected office and in urban issues are particularly encouraged to apply. The ideal candidate will be flexible and willing to shift gears as necessary, and also be well organized and practical. Strong analytical, writing and computer skills are necessary. Ease in interacting with a wide range of constituents is essential.

No language requirement other than English.