Team Cabral is looking to welcome interns! Representative Cabral’s legislative internship helps those interested in a career in public service gain practical hands-on experience in many of the functions of the House of Representatives. 

Representative Cabral is the House Chair for the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. Additionally, Rep. Cabral is the House Chair for both the Portuguese American Legislative Caucus (PALC) and the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus. He has been serving New Bedford as a state representative since 1991, and he has championed legislation around issues of education, economic development, and government transparency.

Primary Purpose:  

Representative Cabral provides temporary, unpaid internships to candidates seeking legislative work experience and training at the Massachusetts House of Representative. Intern responsibilities generally include legislative research, constituent services, administrative duties, and other duties as assigned that support the operations of the House of Representatives and Rep. Cabral.

Eligibility/Qualifications: 

College students interested in or actively pursuing a degree in fields related to public service are eligible for this internship.

Selection is based upon academic qualifications (a 3.0 GPA or above), extra-curricular activities, previous work experience, and interest in the work of the Representative Cabral and the Massachusetts General Court.

Interns may receive course credit or service hours from a participating educational institution. Interns are responsible for notifying their supervisor if they need specific evaluation forms completed for this purpose.  

Familiarity with New Bedford and the South Coast is preferred but not necessary.

Work Schedule: 

Interns will establish their work schedule based on their availability at the beginning of their internship. For the fall semester, internships are available on a part time basis. Interns should be able to commit to a minimum of 1 day a week.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives working hours are typically within a regular 9:00 am to 5:00 pm schedule. Occasional travel or after-hours assignments may be offered to interns to support Representative Cabral and constituent responsibilities. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

The following is a list of responsibilities typically performed by interns; however, specific tasks will be assigned by the internship supervisor and may not include all of those listed.

• Attending Hearings and Briefings: Attend hearings and policy briefings as assigned. Write up short summary briefs for the staff and the Representative.
• Legislative Research: Conduct research on legislative and policy issues as assigned.
• Committee Work: Assist Committee Staff with writing bill summaries, taking notes during hearings, researching bills, collecting testimony, or other responsibilities as assigned
• Drafting Letters of Support: Write testimony for the Representatives legislation that is being heard before a committee

Other responsibilities may include administrative tasks or communications work as assigned.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:  

Interns operate in a professional office environment and may occasionally lift up to 10 pounds.  

To Apply:

Interns should submit a resume, cover letter, and their hours of availability. Representative Cabral is accepting application on a rolling basis. Please submit materials to Savannah Roth (savannah.roth@mahouse.gov).

The Massachusetts House of Representatives is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, religion, disability, age, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, family status or military status. Candidates from BIPOC, LGBT+, working class, and/or other underrepresented communities with Massachusetts ties are strongly encouraged to apply.