One of the great perks of my job comes when I teach research seminars. Students need topics but sometimes don't know what to write about; I can steer them towards topics I am interested in but haven't yet been able to research myself. I consider it a fair trade, because they get a great deal of help in learning how to write research, and I get someone to help me find out if a topic is fruitful for me to research or a dry hole.

That turns out to be the benefit found in summer intern programs in DC. Conservative shops like Heritage have been very good at using these students to help with the research of their fellows. Add in networking and seminars on Hayek and Friedman, and conservative students flock to these places. Leftist research institutes are trying to catch up.

Besides Heritage, there are good ones at The Institute for Humane Studies and the Cato Institute. I've had students work with those places, as well as DC Internships which isn't necessarily conservative, but was a good experience for those students who went. The experience is a vital part of a student's education and opens doors for future employment. Who knows, you could be the next Rich Lowry.