Utah’s annual legislative session is well underway. Alongside lawmakers, advocates and community members, college interns from across the state fill the halls of the Capitol.

Working behind the scenes in this fast-paced environment provides more than a crash course in government—it’s an opportunity for students to gain clarity about career paths, personal values and the issues they want to influence in the future.

“My internship helped me see some ways that I could be involved in government that I didn’t think of before,” said Cameron Jordan, a U student who interned with the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office during the 2025 legislative session.

A political science major with law school aspirations, Jordan initially saw the internship as a way to strengthen her resume. However, it did more than that.

“Before my internship, I didn’t want to work in politics or government,” she said. “I thought I would prefer the private sector. But this experience helped me see all the different opportunities that exist in legal public service—both inside and outside of the courtroom.”

Jordan returned to Capitol Hill this year as an intern in the governor’s office  with the Commission on Criminal Juvenile Justice.

“I’m really passionate about the issues the commission is focused on,” Jordan said. “I’m excited to see the effort being made to advance criminal and juvenile justice policies in our state.”

For Veronica Liedtke, a political science major with an emphasis in law and politics, her internship with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Utah in 2025 was not her first behind-the-scenes look at the session. When she was younger, her aunt used to work in the Capitol’s bill room.

“Before everything was electronic, the bill room played a really big role because people needed physical copies of the legislation,” Liedtke said. “Every session, she’d have some of my older cousins come and work with her in the room, including my brothers. Hearing them share about their experiences sparked my interest.”

Liedtke had originally intended to intern with an individual lawmaker. However, when she learned about the ACLU internship, she was excited about the ways it aligned with issues she personally cared about. The organization’s efforts to empower individual community members especially impressed her.

“I want to strive to create spaces where I can bring people in and make sure they feel like they have a voice,” Liedtke said.

Legislative internships can also be an avenue to help students explore how different policy areas intersect.

After arriving at the U, intending to study environmental engineering, Ashlee Jackson discovered an interest in policymaking after taking a gender justice course that included time at the Capitol.

“I realized that many of the technologies needed to reduce emissions already existed, but implementing them was another story,” Jackson said.

Jackson shifted her academic direction to study environmental and sustainability studies and political science. The change led her to intern in 2025 with Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion, a Democrat from Cottonwood Heights.

Now, the mayor of Cottonwood Heights, Bennion, shared Jackson’s desire to support environmental sustainability. Working with Bennion during the session helped Jackson see how other things like housing policy, environmental goals and public health overlap with issues related to the planet and how mutually beneficial outcomes can be found.

“It’s important that we bridge the gap between the goals of different interests,” Jackson said. “Good policy can accomplish multiple goals at the same time.”

To follow what is happening during the legislative session, sign up for a newsletter such as Utah Policy. Track bills via the My Legislature page. And watch or listen to “The Hinckley Report.” Check attheu.utah.edu for legislative updates related to the U.

Learn more about and apply to Hinckley internships here.