SKILL ROADMAP 39 · LEGAL CAREER ROADMAPS

Legislative Research Professional

How laws are made → Bills → Committee reports → Debates → Bill analysis → Legislative drafting → Fellowships

Track your progress

This roadmap has 7 steps, 3 checkpoints and 3 projects.
Open the interactive version to tick checkpoints and projects. Your progress is saved in your browser.

1 What this path is

Legislative research professionals support lawmakers and legislative bodies by tracking bills, analysing them and helping draft laws.

The work involves close reading of bills, research on short deadlines and clear, neutral writing.

Learn how laws are made.
Learn: the journey from bill to Act, including committees, debate, assent, notification and rules.
Practise: by tracking three bills in Parliament or a state legislature.
Read bills.
Learn: to read a bill and its statement of objects and reasons.
Practise: by summarising a bill in one page.
Read committee reports.
Learn: how parliamentary committees examine bills.
Practise: by summarising a committee report's recommendations.
Follow debates.
Learn: to use debate records to understand intent and concerns.
Practise: by summarising the debate on one bill.
Analyse bills.
Learn: to write neutral analysis of a bill's provisions and gaps.
Practise: by writing a bill analysis.
Learn legislative drafting.
Learn: structure, definitions and precise drafting language.
Practise: by drafting a short amendment to fix one problem.
Join fellowships.
Learn: about legislative fellowships, such as the LAMP Fellowship run by PRS Legislative Research, and roles supporting legislators. Check current eligibility before applying.
Practise: by applying with your bill analyses.

You support legislative work with reliable analysis and drafting.

These checklists are for honest self assessment. They are not an official certification.

Look for legislative research bodies, offices of legislators and the Law Commission. Prepare a bill analysis as your sample.

Bill analyses, trackers and drafts.