Grow & Fortify Post 1

As historians, we learn many skills that can be utilized in a variety of ways. While our writing and research abilities provide us with the tools to be successful academically and professionally as historians, they are also valuable assets that can be utilized in other career opportunities. My internship is not necessarily a history internship but is one that incorporates interests from my thesis and is where I can use my skills to fulfill a significant role. My position is with a consulting/lobbying organization that supports the craft beer, winery, and distillery industry, representing small business clients throughout Maryland. Specifically, my title with the organization is legislative intern as I work to understand and analyze state and county legislation that impacts our clients. I have had to sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect the business interests of clients so some detail on my project is limited, but I can provide information throughout the semester on what I have learned and how I have been able to utilize my skills as a historian. My project is reviewing, drafting, and amending several laws at various levels of government throughout the semester, in an effort to get them passed and to best meet the needs of our clients. Small businesses face many hurdles trying to get started and often require help representing their interests while navigating and understanding the confusing legislative network. My project of drafting laws utilizes the skills I have developed as a historian along with several from my thesis’ focus. My thesis involves a policy history analyzing restrictive legislation and gives me research experience reviewing such laws, understanding their language, development, and impact. Currently, I have taken part in amending an existing law that under new regulations will negatively impact several of our clients. I have had to research and familiarize myself with previous legislation to understand their intent in order to affectively assist in drafting language that removes restriction for our clients while being open to opinion from opposition. Unfortunately the amendments and their drafts are still going through hearings and have been changed further, but we are optimistic we will be able to get the language through that will help the small businesses we represent. I have also begun reading articles on franchise law that I have been assigned to read as per the internship requirements. We anticipate it is inevitable future bills will involve this issue so I have been researching to understand it and how it may impact the craft industry. Franchise law is complicated, designed in such a way to protect the rights and interests of a franchisee who enters into a business relationship with the often larger and more powerful franchisor. However, this relationship in the alcohol industry is somewhat different and becomes further complicated with the craft industry. This is because in the alcohol industry the one that makes the product is considered the franchisor and with the craft industry, this makes them a small business, while the franchisee are distribution buisnesses. This means that the franchise laws designed to protect the franchisee from large corporations sway the other way and now actually negatively impact the franchisor because of their small business status. I will continue to research the issue further and potentially begin working on drafting or amending upcoming legislation on the issue. I have learned a lot and been able to put my research skills and thesis topics to great use understanding  legislation at my internship and look forward to continuing my project.