Careers in Sport- Sports Law

Author: John Bolton, Nixon-Peabody Attorney

We all dream of someday taking our athletic skills to the highest level -- as professional athletes. There certainly is no better way to earn a paycheck than by playing the sport you love. If, however, you do not make it to the big leagues, you can still have a career that centers around sports -- as a lawyer.

The law profession does not just involve keeping criminals out of jail or representing large corporations. A small but growing number of lawyers spend a good portion, if not all, of their careers doing sports related work, both at the college and professional level.

The most well-known attorneys in the sports industry are agents. While the definition of a "sports agent" may vary depending on the circumstances, the sports agent is known for doing one thing -- negotiating the athlete's contract. Perhaps the best known agents are

David Falk, who represents Michael Jordan and recently negotiated his one year, $35 million dollar contract, and Leigh Steinberg, who represents most of the top quarterbacks in the N.F.L., including Steve Young, Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf.

One of the many skills an attorney learns in law school is how to read, draft and understand contracts. Although not all agents are lawyers, most of them are, because the agent's primary job is to negotiate the client's contract. Agents do not always work alone -- they are often part of a firm of agents, such as the International Management Group (IMG), which represents many well-known athletes in a number of sports, including Tiger Woods and Martina Hingis. These firms hire not only lawyers to act as agents, but also hire lawyers that work on behalf of the athlete-clients in their other promotional efforts, such as endorsements. Even if you are not an agent, you can work as an attorney in firms like these, where your daily work revolves around the sports profession.

Lawyers are also deeply involved in college athletics. One area in particular that lawyers have become increasingly involved in college athletics is in the area of NCAA compliance. The rules established by the NCAA concerning recruiting athletes and athletes' eligibility are numerous and complex. These rules must be followed by colleges and universities. The penalties for failing to follow the NCAA's rules range from loss of scholarships to being banned from post-season play.

Because there is so much at stake for schools with big-time athletic programs, a number of lawyers and law firms have focused their practice on counseling universities on how to keep their athletic programs in compliance with NCAA rules and on representing the college or university when accused by the NCAA of wrong doing. One such firm that has developed a practice in representation of colleges and universities in this area is Bond, Schoeneck & King, located in Syracuse, New York. (Not all attorneys working in the sports industry are in New York City or Los Angeles.) Along with Syracuse University, this firm represents numerous other colleges and universities, and it was this firm that lead the investigation that resulted in Steve Fisher being fired by Michigan University earlier this year.

The possibilities for combining a career in law and an interest in sports are limitless. Those discussed in this article are just a few of the more high profile examples. Today, however, lawyers are involved in all aspects of the sports business. All professional teams and leagues have attorneys working for them, as do the television networks that broadcast sports and the companies that own the arenas in which the teams play. With some initiative, creativity and hard work, you can find yourself involved with sports as a lawyer.

Many former athletes find themselves working as attorneys once their career, whether it be at the high school, college or professional level, is over. Once I realized that I was never going to be a professional athlete, I focused on my education, and ultimately on being a lawyer. While I would never compare my athletic skills to those of Steve Young, when his career is over, he will be working in the same field as I am -- as a lawyer. (Steve Young received his law degree in 1994).

Perhaps the best part about being a lawyer is that the competitive atmosphere that drew me to sports is central to the law profession. It is a profession, like athletics, where success is measured in wins and losses. The skills and attributes that make a person a successful athlete are the same that will make for a successful lawyer. Whatever level your athletic skills take you to, the skills and lessons you learn as an athlete can be invaluable if you choose to follow a career in the law.

John Bolton is a partner in the Long Island law office of Nixon-Peabody. He played college basketball at Hamilton College and received his law degree from Buffalo State University where he sat on the Law Journal Review Board. John was also one of the greatest Nintendo-64 players in Hamilton College history, and continues his hooping most mornings before work at Hofstra University.