GUIDE TO LEGISLATIVE STAFF TITLES
ach legislator has staff to assist him/her
Press Secretary (Press Secy)
during a term in office. To be most effective
Communications Director (Comm Dir)
Eincommunicatingwithyourlegislators,itis ThePressSecy'sresponsibilityistobuildandmain-
helpful to know the titles and principal functions of
tain open and effective lines of communication be-
his/her key staff.
tween the Member, his/her constituency, and the
general public. The Press Secy is expected to know
the benefits, demands, and special requirements of
Administrative Assistant (AA)
both print and electronic media, and how to pro-
Chief of Staff (CoS)
mote the member's views or position on specific
The AA reports directly to the legislator. He or she
issues most effectively.
usually has overall responsibility for evaluating the
political outcome of various legislative proposals
and constituent requests. The AA is usually the per-
Appointment Secretary (Appt Secy)
son in charge of overall office operations, including
Personal Secretary or Scheduler (Sch)
the assignment of work and the supervision of key
The Appt Secy is responsible for allocating a Mem-
staff.
ber's time among the many demands that arise
from congressional responsibilities, staff require-
ments, and constituent requests. The Appt Secy
Legislative Director (LD)
may also be responsible for making necessary
Senior Legislative Assistant (Sr. LA)
travel arrangements, arranging speaking dates, visits
Legislative Coordinator (LC)
to the district, etc.
The LD is the staff person who monitors the legis-
lative schedule and makes recommendations re-
garding the pros and cons of particular issues. In
Caseworker
some offices there may be one LD or Senior LA,
The Caseworker is the staff member assigned to
but several LAs. In this case, each LA has responsi-
help with constituent requests by preparing replies
bilities assigned to them based on their particular
for the legislator's signature. The Caseworker's re-
expertise in specific areas. For example, depending
sponsibilities may also include helping resolve prob-
on the responsibilities and interests of the Member,
lems constituents present in relation to state/federal
an office may have a different LA for health issues,
agencies, e.g., Social Security and Medicare issues,
education, family and children, etc.
veteran's benefits, passports, etc. Congressional
offices often have several Caseworkers on staff.
7/29/09
12

---