A political campaign is the organized effort to elect a candidate for public office or pass ballot initiatives. Campaigns can be as small as two volunteers and a handful of paid staffers, or as large as a presidential operation with hundreds of team members. Regardless of size, all campaigns have the same goal: to win a majority of votes.
Staffers in a political campaign organize, coordinate, and manage the operations of the campaign to reach, communicate with, and persuade voters to support a particular candidate or cause. They use a variety of tools and techniques to build, maintain, and communicate with supporters.
Those seeking to enter the field of political work often consider working on campaigns. Although the fast-paced nature of political campaigns can be challenging for newcomers, it provides an excellent opportunity to develop a broad set of professional skills in a relatively short period of time. In addition, political campaign experience can provide a foot in the door to government or politics-adjacent careers, such as lobbying, consulting, and single-issue advocacy.
Interested students should begin by exploring their connections with alumni or undergraduate partisan groups. They can also contact their law school’s Republican or Democratic clubs, and the student chapters of the American Constitution Society or Federalist Society.