Drake's Legislative Practice Center engages students in the legislative process by combining coursework with legislative internships.
Taking advantage of Drake Law School's close proximity to the Iowa State Capitol, the Legislative Practice Center places students in internships, where they draft bills, lobby legislators, and attend subcommittee meetings.
Completion of the Legislative Practice Center program will prepare you for careers in lobbying and legislative practice with entities such as administrative or government agencies, public interest groups, trade associations, unions, businesses, and private law firms engaged in governmental work.
Legislative Practice Center Academics
The Legislative Practice Center combines classroom study with hands-on experiences to help students understand the law-making process at federal, state, and local levels.
The Legislative Practice Center program of study begins in the second year of law school and provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary for legislative practice.
Required courses such as Administrative Law, State and Local Government Law, Legislation, and Legislative Practice focus on general topics involving the structure and operations of governmental agencies.
In addition, students choose to take elective courses in a special interest area that is regulated by legislation and administrative rules, such as agricultural law, environmental law, business law, family law, education, or health law.
Students who complete the Legislative Practice Center program of study receive a J.D. degree accompanied by the Legislative Practice Certificate.
In addition, the accomplishment is noted on students' transcripts, demonstrating their unique preparation in legislation and administrative rule-making procedures.
Drake Law School is minutes from the Iowa State Capitol, providing numerous opportunities for internships in legislation, lobbying, and more.
The Legislative Practice Center arranges internships to give students practical experience and learn first-hand how the law-making process works.
Internships focus on lobbying, drafting bills and amendments, analyzing legislation, helping with budget preparations, monitoring administrative rules, and more.
Legislative Internship
During spring semester their second year, students complete a legislative internship working with Iowa lawmakers during the annual legislative session.
Legislative Practice Internship
During spring semester their third year, students are assigned as interns to public interest groups, associations, or government agencies that are advocating for or against legislation or to the research staffs of legislative caucuses or support agencies.
Internship placement is based on students' preferences and may include criteria such as party affiliation, subject area of interest, and preference for House or Senate.
Most second-year students are placed with a chair, vice chair or ranking member of a committee of their choice. Every effort is made to place students in internships where their abilities will be fully utilized.
Third-year students are placed with advocacy or state government organizations.
Sydney Gangestad
Director of the Legislative Practice Center; Instructor of Law
Law School
Phone: 815-440-8676
Email: sydney.gangestad@drake.edu
Office: Cartwright Hall
