Paid internship @ Congressional research website

A website that provides research for journalists and the public on Congress is offering a paid summer internship in Washington, D.C.

LegiStorm is a premiere non-partisan resource for transparency about who runs the U.S. Congress. Since our founding in 2006, we have been a daily resource for anyone interested in tracking the legislative branch.

We were the first web site in the country to publish the salaries of thousands of government employees - in our case, of all congressional staffers - spurring other web sites to follow in our footsteps across the world. We were the first - and still only - source to bring together a decade of data about how private interests have funded more than 30,000 travel getaways by members of Congress and their staff. We continued innovating by being the first web site to publish all personal financial disclosures filed by members of Congress and their staff. We followed that by being the first to publish all gifts provided to U.S. officials by foreign governments.

Internship Description: We are seeking motivated summer interns with exceptional research skills to join our small team to help release a new treasure trove of data that we have gathered about the U.S. Congress. With that new data, we hope to continue to push the boundaries of what kind of research is possible about how Congress works.

Our summer internship is full-time, for a minimum of 10 weeks (flexible begin and end dates), with a monthly stipend of $1,000. For the right candidate, we would also consider part-time but unpaid internships, but because of the amount of training and staff attention it requires for us, we will limit this to compelling and seriously committed applicants.

LegiStorm's office is on Capitol Hill, albeit a mile from the Union Station metro (several convenient bus lines run within blocks). We offer a casual dress and informal (but still professional) work environment. The refrigerator is stocked with sodas and basic lunch materials. Our building has a relatively fully equipped gym at your disposal and our staff meetings are often held next to the building's beautiful outdoor pool.

Required Qualifications: Our ideal intern is a degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate student who is motivated, organized, self-directed, fast, accurate, diligent, politically interested, always questioning, and has the beginnings of some hard-core research skills. Journalism students who want to focus more on research than writing are particularly welcome (although some limited writing opportunities will be available to someone who shows interest and talent). Those pursuing history or library science careers may also particularly benefit from the intense research focus we provide. Regardless of degree, anyone who loves research - mostly web-based or document-based - is a suitable candidate.

How to Apply: To apply, send a cover letter detailing your qualifications and experience and your resume to congress at legistorm dot com. EEOC.

In your cover letter, mention the college football quarterback that LegiStorm's founder's wife likely cheered on this past year (and your reasoning, if you think it is required – right answers don't really require it). It will prove to us that you are serious and have basic research skills.

Additional Info: Additional information is available online, at http://www.legistorm.com/intern_ad.html