Blog #6

A Student Guide To Sports Law

Introduction

As I close the chapter on my educational career, I wanted to write an article for students and newcomers interested in sports law or who are passionate about sports and may be unaware of sports law. I also wanted to break down ways I think can help you get your foot in the door, which isn’t easy given the nicheness of sports law.

Taking it back, before being enticed by sports law, I wasn’t sure what area of law interested me. Then, one day, in my accommodation during my undergraduate studies, a Good Morning Britain video appeared on my YouTube feed. The video discussed the possible implications of Roman Abramovich’s ownership of Chelsea Football Club in response to the war in Ukraine. The discussion included renowned sports lawyer Jaime Singer. After watching the video, I began to research sports law, and since then, I have pursued sports law with a keen interest and motivation. My findings and experiences ever since will be the basis for this piece.

Several people have asked me what sports law is, so I will give my take on what I think sports law is. Sports law is the practice of different areas of law, such as contract law or employment law, for example, in a sporting context. There is not a particular legislation that sports law stems from like employment law does from the Employment Act 2002. You would thus be applying relevant key legislation to a scenario in a sporting context. Different sports have their internal regulations, but that is as far as it goes from a rule perspective. Mark Galli, a sports lawyer, said (to me) he refers to himself as a commercial lawyer with sports clients. I feel this conveys the point I am trying to make.

Sports Law Resources

For any beginner, you must digest sports law content to make you knowledgeable. It allows you to figure out whether you are sports law and what elements of sports law interest you.

One of the best sources for sports-related content is LawInSport. They often release many articles every week, ranging from several sports and topics. LawInSport is a solid foundation for expanding your sports law knowledge.

Furthermore, firms with sports departments or sports law firms will have a blog where they will release content. Firms such as Morgan Sports Law and Northridge have a blog.

Another great way to digest content is in the form of podcasts. Some sports law podcasts include Nick De Marco KC's The Sports Law podcast and the Dan and Omar Show by Daniel Geey and Omar Chaudhuri.

Some people enjoy reading books. Good books include Nick De Marco KC's Football and the Law and Jonathan Taylor KC's Sports Law and Practice

Now, I have listed a range of sources with examples, but there are plenty of resources I have not mentioned. Doing your research is critical to find out what works best for you to extract information most efficiently. The effectiveness of consuming content will make you knowledgeable, and thus, when meeting leading individuals, you will be able to stand out from the crowd and show off what you know.

How To Show Off?

Once you have become knowledgeable, you can convey this in different mediums. Doing this allows you to build up your CV and to show off to interviewers. You will also be able to show off to leading individuals who will be interested in how you are being proactive. At a sports law conference, I was a guest at, I mentioned to people that I wanted to start a blog. They all strongly recommended I did it as they felt it would be a great life skill and a way of separating myself from the crowd. Not many people are releasing sports law content, so being one of the few and being a student will translate very well.

One of the best ways to show off your CV is by starting your own sports law blog. It highlights a willingness to deepen your understanding of sports law, creativity by creating a website and (amongst other things) dedication to sports law by investing in yourself financially and timewise. I started my own sports law blog whilst studying the LPC. I had great feedback from leading individuals for the content and the proactivity I showed. It highlighted that I had a genuine interest in sports law. During a vacation scheme interview, one of the first talking points was my blog, which impressed the interviewers, again highlighting the strength of investing in yourself. Whatever you release, don't put pressure on yourself for the content to be of a world-class standard. As long as it is relevant and shows time and effort, you will reap the rewards in the long run. Furthermore, do not typecast yourself to one particular topic. Show a range of subject matters which highlight that you are incredibly knowledgeable.

Another way to show off is by building your profile and releasing relevant content on social media platforms, including, but not limited to, LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram. If used correctly, you can be one of the new leaders in the sports law space. You could give recommendations of podcasts or books you enjoy in a short clip format or break down current sports law topics. Reportedly, a human's attention span is around eight seconds. It is thus critical that you engage the consumer instantly. You can do this, for example, by having large titles in the opening portion of the video that makes the watcher think. It is about capturing the audience's attention, which will keep them for the remainder of the video. Once you have built your profile, you can highlight this in your CV, which will be a talking point in any interview.

How To Network?

As is customary with any profession, you must be able to network. One interaction can change your career. I have seen a student in London spend some time in Brazil at a leading Brazilian sports law firm just through a conversation. You truly never know what can happen by just confidently introducing yourself.

One of the best ways to network is by attending conferences in person. It can be nerve-racking, especially as a newcomer when you know nobody. But these conferences are invaluable. You can meet new people and learn new topics and developments in the sports law ecosystem.

LawInSport hosts several conferences across the country, ranging from different topics, which always have a great turnout and will give you a solid opportunity to meet new faces. You can ask for advice if you are a student and also ask whether these individuals would like assistance with any trivial tasks (compared to their actual day-to-day tasks) they may have, like article writing. You could offer to research a topic on their behalf and, as a result, build a connection. Although it does cost to enter these conferences, LawInSport does offer a student discount. I attended the LawInSport Annual Conference 2022 and met Matt Santer. I asked for some advice, and he was kind enough to spend nearly half an hour giving me advice. He also spoke about the law firm he works for and its vacation scheme process, which I was unaware of. I applied to it and managed to secure the scheme. Had I not met Matt, I probably would not have obtained the opportunity, which gave me first-hand experience working in sports law. Another great conference is the Mischon De Reya Sports Law Academy, which is free for everyone. They have several events during the calendar year with high-level and knowledgeable guests.

Linking back to the resources paragraph, after reading articles, reach out to the author and tell them what you liked about the article and what you learned. Given lawyers are already time-poor, writing these articles for them takes commitment. As a result, they will appreciate the feedback, and you can form a connection which can grow from there.

As I have mentioned, releasing relevant content is a good way of putting yourself out there. Depending on the type of content, you can catch the eye of someone you may not even know is aware of you. I posted a series of clips on my LinkedIn page that garnered a decent level of attention, and as a result, I formed two great connections. The video was about sports law podcasts I liked, and it caught the eye of sports lawyers Daniel Geey and Paul Musa. I included their podcasts in the post and explained why I like them. Through the LinkedIn post, Paul invited me to his What the Footie podcast event, where I met like-minded individuals and deepened my network. In addition, through the video, I got to collaborate with Daniel. We talked about his book Build The Invisible, and he also dropped some gems, which opened my eyes to ways to build your career. 

Of course, you could message sports lawyers on LinkedIn and ask for advice. It can be an effective method of networking and expanding your knowledge. However, lawyers are extremely busy, and you may not get a reply. Should that occur, do not take it personally. Law is a fast-paced industry, and they may not have the time to reply. Nevertheless, doing this did allow me to find a mentor who has helped me incredibly, to whom I am grateful. Always come from a genuine place and be willing to learn and help where possible.

Conclusion

Now, this is just my take for any people finding themselves lost regarding sports law, so I am not saying follow everything in this article verbatim. However, there is no harm in trying some of the things I experienced for yourself to see if they work for you.

Many more reputable figures, such as Daniel Geey, talk about how to break into the sports world. Diversifying your knowledge bank of entering sports law will make your journey all the easier.

My final bit of advice would be that if you are interested, spend time researching and take every opportunity, as you never know what will happen. Attend that conference, read that article and reach out to the author. Be proactive.   

Good luck.