Internships and Fellowships
Congresswoman Underwood offers paid congressional internship and fellowship opportunities throughout the year in her Washington, D.C. and Illinois offices. Congressional internships and fellowships provide an opportunity for constituents, students, and young people to directly participate in public service through supporting our office’s constituent engagement and services, legislative research, communications and digital work, and congressional operations.
Opportunities in Washington D.C.
Maternal Health Internship (35-40 hours/week)
Maternal Health Interns work in-person in our D.C. office for three to four months. Candidates should have a background or interest in health policy and will help support Rep. Underwood’s work as Co-Chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. Responsibilities include but are not limited to researching and drafting memos, attending congressional briefings, working with staff to research legislative issues, answering and screening phone calls, assisting with administrative tasks and data entry, assisting the communications team with various tasks, assisting with in-person events in D.C., and other projects as they arise.
Interns are paid at a rate equivalent to $15/hour and have access to paid sick leave as well as unpaid personal leave. Maternal health internship candidates must be available to work in-person for 35-40 hours/week on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Our office offers three internship periods each year:
Spring internships run from January to April.
Summer internships run from May to August. Applications are OPEN NOW and rolling.
- Fall internships run from September to December. Applications are due by July 1.
To apply, please use the form below. Please note that due to a high volume of applicants, a response is not guaranteed. Candidates will only be contacted if selected for an interview. No phone calls or walk-ins, please.
Opportunities in Illinois
Constituent Services Fellowship (35-40 hours/week)
Constituent Services Fellows work in-person in our Illinois offices for four months and gain experience with a broad range of experiences and responsibilities, with a strong focus on casework and constituent services. These include assisting with logistical and administrative office duties, managing a casework portfolio, planning outreach at local events, staffing virtual and in-person meetings and events, drafting correspondence and memos, and conducting research. Fellows also will work directly with the communications team, assisting with creating digital content, outreach documents, video clips, graphics, and other materials.
Fellows are paid at a rate equivalent to $15/hour and have access to paid sick leave and comp time as well as unpaid personal leave. Constituent services fellowship candidates must be available to work in-person in the 14th District for 35-40 hours/week for the full four-month fellowship, with occasional weekend and after-hours work for constituent-facing events. Our office offers two fellowship periods each year:
Spring fellowships run from January through April. Subsequent applications for spring fellowships will be due November 1.
- Fall fellowships run from September through December. Applications are due by May 1.
To apply, use the form below. Please note that due to a high volume of applicants, a response is not guaranteed. Candidates will only be contacted if selected for an interview. No phone calls or walk-ins, please.
Casework Fellowship (20-40 hours/week)
Casework Fellows work in person in our Joliet and/or DeKalb offices for seven to nine months. Fellows gain hands-on experience across a broad range of federal casework matters, with a strong emphasis on constituent communications. This position serves as a liaison between constituents and federal, district, and local agencies and is responsible for responding to casework correspondence and inquiries.
Essential job functions include:
- Manage a casework portfolio
- Provide casework administration, including
- Assigning cases
- Conducting constituent intakes
- Researching community questions
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date files across all cases and categories
- Plan and staff “Casework in the Community” events designed to bring casework services directly to district residents
- Complete special projects as assigned, which may include
- Updating casework letter templates
- Distributing and analyzing post-service surveys
- Compiling internal reports
- Assists with receptionist duties as needed
Fellows are paid at a rate equivalent to $15/hour and have access to paid sick leave and comp time as well as unpaid personal leave. Casework fellowship candidates must be available to work in-person in the 14th District for 20-40 hours/week for the full six-to-nine-month period of the fellowship, with occasional weekend and after-hours work for constituent-facing events.
This Fellowship is an approved practicum site for MSW students at Aurora University, Lewis University and University of Chicago. If your MSW program is not listed, we are happy to work with qualified candidates to establish academic affiliation.
To apply, please complete the form below. Due to a high volume of applicants, a response is not guaranteed. Candidates will only be contacted if selected for an interview. No phone calls or walk-ins, please.
District Office Internship (20 hours/week)
Interns work in-person in our Illinois offices for three to four months and gain experience with a broad range of responsibilities. These include office administration, greeting and assisting visitors and callers, constituent correspondence, planning and staffing virtual and in-person events, researching legislation, assisting with constituent casework and outreach, and attending and reporting on Congressional hearings and briefings on various legislative issues, among other tasks. Interns will also work directly with the communications team, assisting with creating digital content, video clips, graphics, and other materials.
Interns are paid at a rate equivalent to $15/hour and have access to paid sick leave as well as unpaid personal leave. District office internship candidates must be available to work in-person for 20 hours/week, with occasional weekend and after-hours work for constituent-facing events.
Our office offers three internship periods each year:
Spring internships run from January to April. Applications are due by November 1.
Summer internships run from May to August. Applications are due by March 1.
Fall internships run from September to December. Applications are due by July 1.
To apply, use the form below. Please note that due to a high volume of applicants, a response is not guaranteed. Candidates will only be contacted if selected for an interview. No phone calls or walk-ins, please.