Casework , in a congressional office, refers to the response or services that Members of Congress provide to constituents who request assistance. As part of the process of determining how to carry out their congressional duties, Members of Congress largely determine the scope of casework and their other constituent service activities. Why do offices do casework? Casework is not required of Members of Congress, but it is commonly expected by constituents. House Casework Rules and Guidance

House rules regarding casework services are discussed in the House Ethics Manual . The number and type of constituent requests, how an office defines casework, Member priorities, and the distribution of responsibilities among office locations and staff are some of the factors that can affect a congressional office's casework policies and procedures. Congressional staff serving as caseworkers typically act as liaisons between constituents and federal agencies. The decision to hire a caseworker, the specific qualifications for that role, and job responsibilities, however, are left to each Member office to determine. Caseworkers generally first obtain information about the constituent's situation from the person requesting assistance. Often, this involves contacting a federal agency's congressional liaison. Additional information for caseworkers on working with constituents is available on the CRS casework resources website ( http://www.crs.gov/resources/casework ) or by contacting CRS. Often, federal agencies have designated legislative affairs or congressional relations staff assigned as general points of contact for congressional caseworkers. What resources are available to congressional offices? These resources include
an introductory video on casework (CRS Video WVB00093, Introduction to Congressional Casework ); a longer report on casework practices (CRS Report RL33209, Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources ); a report on U.S. service academy nominations (CRS Report RL33213, Congressional Nominations to U.S. Service Academies: An Overview and Resources for Outreach and Management ); and a list of frequently updated congressional liaison contacts (CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies ). Congressional offices may also contact CRS analysts directly to address more specific questions or concerns related to casework.
Constituents often contact a congressional office looking for assistance; the work congressional offices do in response to these requests is generally referred to as casework . Members of Congress determine the scope of their constituent service activities, including casework. Many requests for casework come from constituents seeking assistance from federal agencies, but offices may also receive requests from non-constituents. Congressional offices can have different conceptualizations of casework based on Member preferences, district needs, and constituent expectations.
This report addresses frequently asked questions (FAQs) about congressional casework. It is intended to provide resources for congressional offices and individual caseworkers. This includes the casework rules and guidelines established by the House and Senate, as well as some observations about how congressional offices generally approach casework and work with federal agencies on behalf of constituents.
Casework practices are largely left to each Member office to determine, like many other aspects of congressional operations. Each constituent's situation is unique, and federal agencies vary in their casework practices, which makes it difficult for either chamber to issue prescriptive guidelines regarding casework. The degree of flexibility afforded to offices can help caseworkers tailor their assistance to best meet constituents' needs.
The relative autonomy afforded to congressional offices regarding casework also means that many of the answers provided here are necessarily broad-based. Further resources are available from CRS that can provide more specific, context-specific information. Several of these CRS resources are discussed throughout this report, including the following:
CRS Video WVB00093, Introduction to Congressional Casework , by [author name scrubbed] CRS Report RL33209, Casework in a Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources , by [author name scrubbed] CRS Report RL33213, Congressional Nominations to U.S. Service Academies: An Overview and Resources for Outreach and Management , by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed] CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies , by [author name scrubbed] the CRS resources website, "Constituent Services: Casework," by [author name scrubbed], available at http://crs.gov/resources/casework