The Political Science Department offers a wide variety of summer internships, the following is one example of the outstanding opportunities available to Allegheny College students. Students are welcome to speak with their advisers and Career Education for more information on upcoming opportunities.
The Robert H. Jackson Center offers internships for college students as a major part of its educational mission. Internship applicants may come from a variety of fields including Communications, History, Community and Justice Studies, Political Science, International Studies, Education, English, Pre-Law, and Journalism in the Public Interest. All students currently enrolled at Allegheny College may apply. An interest in research and writing is an important qualification for the internship.
Interns will work directly with Allegheny faculty and the staff of the Robert H. Jackson Center to determine their project. Each project will relate to the life and career of Robert H. Jackson, a major figure in the history of the United States. Areas of work will reflect the skills and interests of the intern and the needs of the Jackson Center. Some possibilities include the following:
- Developing content for the www.roberthjackson.org web site or future exhibits related to the life and work of Robert H. Jackson and its relevance to current events and challenges.
- Cataloging archival materials
- Researching and analyzing local newspaper files and Chautauqua County Court records.
- Developing educational materials and programs related to:
- Jackson’s 20 year legal practice in Chautauqua County
- Jackson’s years with the Roosevelt administration, first as Solicitor General, then as Attorney General of the United States, then Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
- Jackson’s opinions written during his years as Associate Justice on the US Supreme Court
- Jackson’s prosecution of the Nuremberg War Trials, as Chief U. S. Prosecutor
Summer interns work between Memorial Day and Labor Day for a period of up to 12 weeks on a flexible schedule that will be determined between the intern and the intern coordinator. The intern coordinator serves as a “coach” and there are regular opportunities to meet with administrative and staff members on a range of issues and topics pertaining to the intern’s assignments and interests.
Previous Allegheny College interns at the Robert H. Jackson Center secured summer housing at Jamestown Community College for the duration of their internship experiences. For roughly $100/week, interns have access to a small apartment with kitchen and bath on the JCC campus, complete with full access to the amenities of the community college. The residence halls are approximately a 5 minute drive from the Jackson Center. Once you have been notified of your acceptance as an intern, please visit Career Education to learn about funding to offset the cost of housing.
In your personal statement, please reflect on 1) how this internship opportunity will serve your academic or career goals, 2) how this experience builds upon your previous experiences and academic program of study, 3) in what ways you think you might be useful to the Jackson Center (including what kinds of projects you would like to pursue), and 4) whether you will require housing at Jamestown Community College (this will not have an effect on your candidacy). Please keep the personal statement to one to two double-spaced pages and include email and phone contact information as well as the names, titles, and email addresses of two on-campus references whom we may contact.