Members of the United States Congress (both in the House of Representatives and Senate), as well as most members of other legislative bodies of sub-national subdivisions (states, cities, counties), have multiple legislative assistants who at the basic level are tasked in handling research and briefing (both verbal briefing and written memoranda) duties while legislative assistants that are advanced in their education or careers will advise on issues related to their particular expertise (e.g. education policy, environmental policy, tax policy). Often the assignments will be connected to the committee assignments of the member. The research, think tank, and library divisions of legislative bodies, such as the Library of Congress and the Congressional Research Service at the national level also utilize legislative analysts and legislative research assistants in providing non-partisan (and at times confidential) research and advice to members of the legislature and their (immediate) staff while not working directly under the direction, supervision, or authority of the specific legislator or committee but working on behalf of the legislature as a whole in a non-partisan capacity.
