Eligibility and Selection

2025 Application Deadline

The deadline for submitting applications for the 2025​ Legislative Fellows Program is November 1​. View the 2025 Legislative Fellows Program flyer for more detailed in​​form​ation about the application process​.​

Eligibility

All full-time graduate students and especially qualified junior- or senior-level undergraduate students of the University of Delaware and Delaware State University are eligible to apply for the Legislative Fellows Program. Applicants should possess a strong background in degree programs such as public administration, public policy, political science, sociology, urban affairs, communications, international relations, criminal justice, history, economics, or business administration.

Legislative Fellows are competitively selected each spring and fall for the next legislative session. All candidates are interviewed and must complete a timed-writing exercise on a current public policy issue. Applicants with an interest in the legislative process, government, or public policy analysis are preferred. Strong writing skills are required.

1. Application and Supporting Documents

• Legislative Fellows Application ​Guide
• Legislative Fellows Program Application - Online Form
• Recommendation Online Form
• Recommendation Printable Form
• Permission Form for Research Assistants

2. Writing Exercise

This one-hour timed-writing exercise is held virtually on the same day that applications are due and simulates a duty Fellows might have at Legislative Hall. Applicants will be given material to read and asked to write a sample memorandum to a Delaware state legislator. Please RSVP to Program Manager Lisa Moreland Allred prior to the day of the exercise.

3. Initial Interview

This is an informal 30-minute interview with Institute for Public Administration director Dr. Jerome Lewis and program manager Lisa Moreland Allred. It is a way for the manager to get to know the applicants' academic and professional backgrounds, as well as their interest in the program. Upon application receipt, the program manager will provide further details.

4. Panel Interview

In this formal 15-minute panel interview, applicants will again see Dr. Jerome Lewis and Lisa Moreland Allred, but they will also meet a panel of legislative staff members who serve the Fellows'​ supervisors in Dover. Panel members will ask applicants about academics, professional experiences, knowledge of Delaware state government, and other interview-relevant information. Applicants are encouraged to ask questions of the panel. Upon initial interview completion, the program manager will provide further details.

Contact Us

For more information about the Legislative Fellows Program, please contact Program Manager Lisa Moreland Allred.