Brendan Salisbury - Cover Letter - Legislative and Policy Analyst_Redacted — File 213321

Brendan W. Salisbury October 14, 2021 To Whom It May Concern: I am a recent law school graduate with substantial legislative research experience and a strong academic background in policy analysis and development. I am familiar with the mechanisms of municipal government in Massachusetts, and I am confident that my experience, education, and particular passion make me an excellent candidate for the position of Legislative and Policy Analyst. In pursuit of my master’s degree, I devoted my studies to research, analysis, and presentation of existing and proposed policies, reforms, and programs on the state and federal level. I continued along this trajectory in law school, focusing not on traditional litigation, transactional, or criminal trial practices, but on the mechanisms of legislation and administration. As a part of this I established and chaired the Drug Law and Policy Society, which chose to direct its efforts toward the study of statutory and regulatory frameworks, and I spearheaded the creation of a legislative initiative. Members were encouraged to participate in the process of legislative and regulatory lawmaking, including by researching proposed legislation and rule changes, contacting and meeting with their elected officials at all levels, and engaging with community and advocacy organizations. They also wrote and submitted written testimony to state legislative committees, in some cases presented oral testimony at hearings, and submitted public comment to federal regulatory agencies. My internships while in law school reflected a similar devotion to legislation and policy. My position with Senator Eric Lesser’s office involved legislative research and analysis, assisting with tracking and organizing the senator’s budget priorities, and drafting hearing testimony. I attended legislative briefings on the senator’s behalf, sat in on committee hearings, and staffed him on the senate floor. I also met with constituents and advocacy groups and responded to inquiries and correspondence from members of the public. My work with Councilor Wu involved substantial policy work. This included research on the ability of municipalities to self-govern under the home rule amendment to the Massachusetts constitution, and the dimensions of its limitations. I produced portions of the groundbreaking plan to abolish and replace the Boston Planning and Redevelopment Agency and drafted a number of ordinances, including a ban on the use of facial recognition technology, as well as hearing orders and policy proposals. My professional career has been entirely devoted to public service. While in graduate school I served as a member of the staff in the Massachusetts Land Court Recorder’s office. After nearly two years there, I transitioned to the Appeals Court Clerk’s office, where I remained until law school. My commitment to serving the public, and record of hard work, led the Clerk of the Appeals Court to request that I be brought back to assist the office in a relief capacity as an independent contractor. For these reasons, I am certain I would be an asset to the City of Somerville in the role of Legislative and Policy Analyst. Thank you in advance for your consideration of my application, I look forward to the opportunity to interview. Best regards, Brendan Salisbury