It's not easy to pick up and dust off after a tough fall. This election was a tough one for Democrats in Virginia. In spite of an unprecedented effort by the Virginia Young Democrats and Democrats all over the Commonwealth, we lost. Even with this loss, however, we have a lot to be thankful for:

Permalink: http://www.vayd.org/2010LegislativeFellows
Position: Virginia Young Democrats Legislative Fellow
Stipend: $400 - $600 pending hours worked
Application Deadline: December 9th, 2009
Requirements: 20 Hours per Week, January 12th through March 13th
Qualifications: Must be able to work in fast paced environment, think on feet, and follow deadlines. An interest in the inner workings of politics and the legislative process is a must.

Description
Rarely does an opportunity like this arise for young people to play such an active role in policy. The Young Democrats and the House and Senate Democratic Caucuses have joined forces to provide a fellowship program where young people can become experts on an issue area and work closely with elected officials during the General Assembly session.

Candidates for a fellowship will apply for a committee assignment and if chosen will work closely with the Caucus Whip or Committee Chair of the committee. This fellowship is unique because it allows young people to be an active part of the legislative process and interface directly with lawmakers. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, attending all assigned committee and subcommittee meetings, following legislation through the committee process and through the legislature, monitoring amendments to legislation, keeping track of who is in favor and against legislation, observing meetings between legislators and lobbyists (both constituent and professional), drafting correspondence to constituent contacts on legislation before your committee, preparing background briefing information daily for legislation up for votes on the floor of the General Assembly, taking visual record (pictures) of your experience and reporting about your work on the VAYD blog, and other duties as assigned.

There are 20 fellowship positions available. Each comes with a $400-$600 stipend. Candidates must be able to commit to no less than 20 hours per week, January 12 - March 13. Availability and flexibility will be weighted equally to qualifications and references during the selection process. Any questions should be emailed to Toby.Quaranta@vayd.org.

Deadline
The deadline to apply is Wednesday, December 9th at 5:00 p.m.

Information on how to apply below

With Election 2009 behind us, VAYD is already getting ready for 2010. This weekend, a group of members of VAYD's executive board met in Arlington at the ACDC Headquarters to go over plans for the coming year. First on our agenda: Legislative Fellows for the House and Senate Democratic Caucus, and (building on our work in NOVA this past cycle) organizers for the Special Senate election in Fairfax.

There's more...

Virginia Young Democrats Congratulate United States House of Representatives, Congressmen Moran, Scott, Connolly, and Perriello for Historic Vote

American People, Young Generation to Benefit from Access to Affordable Healthcare and Long-Term Savings

Delegate Moran and Mike Signer rallying the troops in Arlington.

In 2007 then-Attorney General McDonnell Organized a States’ Brief Asking Supreme Court to Bar Lawsuits Against States for Violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act Rights in Case Involving Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Higher Education. VAYD Disabilities Caucus wants to know: What does Bob McDonnell have against young Virginians with Disabilities?