,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adeh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #a1    
#bjac ,mr4 ,hoeven 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,leahy7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,rules and               
,administration  ,a ,,bill  ,to         
establish the ,daniel ,webster          
,congressional ,clerkship ,program4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,daniel ,webster ,congressional    
,clerkship ,act of #bjac4  #b4 ,findings
 ,congress finds the following3  7#a7   
,each year1 many of the most talented   
law school graduates in the ,united     
,states begin their legal careers as    
judicial law clerks4  7#b7 ,the judicial
 clerkship program has given the        
judiciary access to a pool of           
exceptional young lawyers at a          
relatively low cost4  7#c7 ,these same  
lawyers then go on to become leaders of 
their profession1 where they serve a    
critical role in helping to educate the 

public about the judiciary and the      
judicial process4  7#d7 ,the ,white     
,house1 the administrative agencies of  
the ,executive ,branch1 the             
,administrative ,office of the ,united  
,states ,courts1 the ,federal ,judicial 
,center1 and the ,united ,states        
,sentencing ,commission all operate     
analogous programs for talented young   
professionals at the outset of their    
careers4  7#e7 ,congress is without a   
similar program4  7#f7 ,at a time when  
our ,nation faces considerable          
challenges1 ,congress and the public    
would benefit immeasurably from a       
program1 modeled after the judicial     
clerkship program1 that engages the     
brightest young lawyers in the ,nation  
in the legislative process4  7#g7       
,accordingly1 the ,congress herein      
creates the ,daniel ,webster            
,congressional ,clerkship ,program1     
named after one of the most admired and 
distinguished lawyer-legislators ever to
 serve in ,congress1 to improve the     

business of ,congress1 and increase the 
understanding of its work by the public4
  #c4 ,daniel ,webster ,congressional   
,clerkship ,program  7a7 ,selection     
committees ,as used in this ,act1 the   
term ,selection ,committees means--     
7#a7 the ,committee on ,rules and       
,administration of the ,senate2 and     
7#b7 the ,committee on ,house           
,administration of the ,house of        
,representatives4  7b7 ,establishment of
 ,program ,there is hereby established  
the ,daniel ,webster ,congressional     
,clerkship ,program for the appointment 
of individuals who are graduates of     
accredited law schools to serve as      
,congressional ,clerks in the ,senate or
 ,house of ,representatives4  7c7       
,selection of ,clerks ,subject to the   
availability of appropriations1 the     
,selection ,committees shall select     
,congressional ,clerks in the following 
manner3  7#a7 ,the ,committee on ,rules 
and ,administration of the ,senate shall
 select not less than #f ,congressional 

,clerks each year to serve as employees 
of the ,senate for a #a-year period4    
7#b7 ,the ,committee on ,house          
,administration of the ,house of        
,representatives shall select not less  
than #f ,congressional ,clerks each year
 to serve as employees of the ,house of 
,representatives for a #a-year period4  
7d7 ,selection criteria ,in carrying out
 subsection 7c71 the ,selection         
,committees shall select ,congressional 
,clerks consistent with the following   
criteria3  7#a7 ,each ,congressional    
,clerk selected shall be a graduate of  
an accredited law school as of the      
starting date of his or her clerkship4  
7#b7 ,each ,congressional ,clerk        
selected shall possess--  7,a7 an       
excellent academic record2  7,b7 a      
strong record of achievement in         
extracurricular activities2  7,c7 a     
demonstrated commitment to public       
service2 and  7,d7 outstanding analytic1
 writing1 and oral communication skills4
  7e7 ,process ,after a ,congressional  

,clerk is selected under this section1  
such ,congressional ,clerk shall then   
interview for a position in an office as
 follows3  7#a7 ,for a ,congressional   
,clerk selected under subsection        
7c77#a71 the ,congressional ,clerk shall
 interview for a position with--  7,a7  
any office of any committee of the      
,senate1 including any ,joint ,committee
 or ,select and ,special ,committee2    
7,b7 any office of any individual member
 of the ,senate2  7,c7 any leadership   
office of the ,senate2 or  7,d7 the     
,office of the ,parliamentarian of the  
,senate1 the ,office of ,senate ,legal  
,counsel1 or the ,office of the         
,legislative ,counsel of the ,senate4   
7#b7 ,for a ,congressional ,clerk       
selected under subsection 7c77#b71 the  
,congressional ,clerk shall interview   
for a position with--  7,a7 any office  
of any committee of the ,house of       
,representatives1 including any ,joint  
,committee or ,select and ,special      
,committee2  7,b7 any office of any     

individual ,member of the ,house of     
,representatives2  7,c7 any leadership  
office of the ,house of                 
,representatives2 or  7,d7 the ,office  
of ,general ,counsel of the ,house of   
,representatives1 the ,office of the    
,parliamentarian of the ,house of       
,representatives1 or the ,office of the 
,legislative ,counsel of the ,house of  
,representatives4  7f7 ,placement       
requirements ,the ,selection ,committees
 shall ensure that ,congressional       
,clerks selected under this section are 
apportioned equally between majority    
party and minority party offices4  7g7  
,compensation of ,congressional ,clerks 
,each ,congressional ,clerk selected    
under this section shall receive the    
same compensation as would1 and         
comparable benefits to1 an individual   
who holds the position of a judicial    
clerkship for the ,united ,states       
,district ,court for the ,district of   
,columbia within #c months of graduating
 from law school4  7h7 ,required        

adherence to rules ,each ,congressional 
,clerk selected under this section shall
 be subject to all laws1 regulations1   
and rules in the same manner and to the 
same extent as any other employee of the
 ,senate or ,house of ,representatives4 
7i7 ,exclusion from limit on number of  
positions ,a ,congressional ,clerk shall
 be excluded in determining the number  
of employees of the office that employs 
the ,clerk for purposes of--  7#a7 in   
the case of the office of a ,member of  
the ,house of ,representatives1 section 
#ajd of the ,house of ,representatives  
,administrative ,reform ,technical      
,corrections ,act 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #ib72 or
  7#b7 in the case of any other office1 
any applicable provision of law or any  
rule or regulation which imposes a limit
 on the number of employees of the      
office4  7j7 ,rules ,the ,selection     
,committees shall develop and promulgate
 rules regarding the administration of  
the ,congressional ,clerkship program   
established under this section4  7k7    

,member defined ,in this section1 the   
term ,member of the ,house of           
,representatives includes a ,delegate or
 ,resident ,commissioner to ,congress4  
7l7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there are authorized to be appropriated
 to carry out this section such sums as 
may be necessary for fiscal year #bjad  
and each of the #d succeeding fiscal    
years4