果冻传媒

Putting yourself in opportunity鈥檚 way: Alumnus James Lesinski describes his journey from 果冻传媒 to the House of Representatives

Originally from Toledo, OH, James now lives in Capitol Hill in Virginia, where he works as counsel to the Committee on the Judiciary of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Political Science major and History minor attributes his impressive career to his diligent work ethic and the extracurricular opportunities he experienced at 果冻传媒, interning twice in Washington, D.C. through the Washington Semester program.

Following his graduation, James attended the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio, where he completed an externship at an interest group in Washington, D.C., and served as a research assistant to a Politics professor focused on the federal government. He passed the Virginia bar exam in 2017, and went on to secure a counsel position with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform; transitioning to his current role with the House Judiciary Committee in March, 2020. 鈥淲ithout a doubt, I am extraordinarily fortunate to be in the position that I am today, and a lot of things have bounced my way during my academic and professional career,鈥� he says. 鈥淟anding a job in an institution like Congress takes luck, but you also have to work hard to put yourself in a position where it鈥檚 even a possibility.鈥�

The holistic Political Science program at 果冻传媒 prepared him for the broad range of hats he wears as a Counselor. 鈥淢y job consists of a variety of duties that generally fall into two categories: policy and oversight/investigations,鈥� he explains. 鈥淢y policy duties include formulating legislation, analyzing legislation put forward by others, preparing members of Congress for markups, drafting memoranda and reports, planning and executing hearings, and liaising with outside groups and stakeholders as well as our Senate counterparts. My oversight/investigations duties include planning and executing projects, drafting letters, memoranda and reports, reviewing documents, conducting interviews and depositions, and planning and executing oversight hearings.鈥�

Juggling these commitments may be challenging for some, but James embraces the challenges of his role head-on. His favorite part of the job is generating innovative solutions to complex issues. 鈥淚 think many people believe that law and government operations are largely tedious and boring, and to be sure there is some of that, but there are also ample opportunities for creativity. Congress is an institution where a myriad of competing priorities come together, because the members represent diverse places across the country.鈥�

In the future, James is unsure whether he will remain in government or transition into the private sector.. Regardless of the path he takes, he will continue to value the importance of beginning his career journey at 果冻传媒. 鈥湽�冻传媒 afforded me the flexibility to focus on what I wanted to specialize in within my major, and provided opportunities to further my practical education,鈥� said he says. 鈥淚t also armed me with foundational knowledge of politics and government that I still use often.鈥�