Legislative Staff Week 2025 | May 5-9
Thank You, Legislative Staff!
Every day, you and your colleagues work behind the scenes to support the work of state legislatures. From drafting bills to making statehouses accessible to the public to keeping computer networks secure, legislatures couldn’t function without you. During the week of May 5-9, NCSL celebrates your contributions and considers the importance of both gratitude and recognition in the legislative environment.
Please join us! Here’s how you can participate:
- Watch an NCSL Town Hall at 1 p.m. ET Monday with NCSL Staff Chair John Snyder.
- Register for two webinars:
- The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes: Monday, May 5 at 2 p.m. ET.
- Writing for a Legislative Audience: Friday, May 9 at 1 p.m. ET.
- Check out a special edition podcast and resources created with you in mind.
- Celebrate with your team! Find inspiration with NCSL’s Legislative Staff Week Toolkit.
- Say thank you to a fellow legislative staffer!
- Share a photo or post on social media to show how you’re honoring your colleagues.
Praise and Prizes!
Give a shoutout or two in recognition of a colleague’s or team’s resilience, leadership, innovation or exceptional commitment to the legislature. You’ll both be entered into a daily drawing. Prizes include free registrations for NCSL Base Camp and NCSL swag bags. And for the state receiving the most shoutouts? Dessert’s on us! NCSL will host an ice cream party for all legislative staff. Also, in honor of NCSL’s golden anniversary—a special prize for the first state to reach 50 shoutouts.
Watch the Monday Webinar: The Power of ‘No’ in a World that Demands ‘Yes’
As a legislative staffer, saying 'yes' often goes hand in hand with providing excellent support and services to those within the legislative arena. But sometimes these acts of obedience, portrayed as service, can come at a cost: high workload, risk of burnout and conflict with professional and personal values. Join Dr. Sunita Sah, physician, behavioral scientist and best-selling author of “Defy,” for a compelling conversation on why we obey, what defiance really means, and how we can all learn to push back, and say ‘no,’ with integrity.
After the webinar, listen to Dr. Sah's special edition podcast to gain even more insights about this topic.
Watch the Friday Webinar: Writing for a Legislative Audience
Legislative staff create a wide variety of written products. From newsletters to emails to constituent correspondence—the list goes on and on. But regardless of the purpose, certain tactics are essential to crafting concise, efficient and easy-to-digest content. In this workshop, you will learn how to effectively organize your thoughts and put them across in a form that maximizes the impact of your information.
Register: Writing for a Legislative Audience
Legislative Staff Week Kickoff Town Hall: Celebrating Public Service
Join us for a short conversation with NCSL Staff Chair John Snyder on Monday, May 5, at 1 p.m. ET. Snyder is the Transportation Committee staff administrator for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission.
Watch the Town Hall
Meet NCSL Staff Chair John Snyder
Staff Chair John Snyder says his connection to NCSL has helped him thrive professionally. Now he wants to help others thrive, too. “We owe it to the citizens (of our states),” Snyder says, “to make sure we serve them with diligence, respect and excellence.”
Read more about Staff Chair John Snyder
Special Edition Podcasts
- Starting May 6, tune in for more with Dr. Sunita Sah in a special Legislative Staff Week edition of the “Our American States” podcast. Dr. Sah will discuss the ideas in her recent book, “Defy: The Power of No in a World that Demands Yes,” and their applications in the legislative workplace.
- While legislative staff outnumber legislators by more than 4 to 1, their role is often poorly understood by the public and even by their own families. Yet the work they do from drafting legislation to providing bill research to keeping the IT systems running is critical to these institutions. “Our American States” talked to a variety of staffers and others who reflected on the growth of staff, their critical role in providing nonpartisan professional advice to legislators, the changing role and challenges staff have faced especially in the last 50 years and what the future holds for them.
Research Questions?
NCSL is at your service! Legislators ask all sorts of questions to help them understand policy issues or guide decisions on language to include in bill drafts. Consider NCSL your concierge for research requests. A wealth of information is just a phone call or email away.
Training Resources
NCSL Daily Development is a toolbox of five useful online resources on a common theme.
Legislative Staff: There’s a Professional Staff Association for you!
Are you a legislative staff member looking to expand your network, enhance your skills and stay up to date on the latest legislative issues? Look no further! NCSL offers nine vibrant communities of peers dedicated to supporting and advancing legislative work nationwide.
By becoming a professional staff association member, you’ll gain access to:
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with colleagues from different states, share ideas and forge valuable relationships.
- Professional Development: Take advantage of workshops, seminars and online resources tailored to legislative staff professionals.
- Legislative Insights: Stay informed about emerging legislative trends, best practices and policy developments.
Learn More
Staff Snapshots
In NCSL’s “Staff Snapshots” series, legislative staff from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories tell us about their roles in the legislature, what inspires them and what they love about their jobs. They also offer some great tips on what to read, watch and listen to!
Get Social and Share
Share a photo on social media that shows how you and your team are celebrating Staff Week. Just tag @NCSLorg or add #LegislativeStaff. You could be featured on one of NCSL’s platforms. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Keep an eye on your inbox for more announcements about Legislative Staff Week, and connect with us on social!