Student blogger:

Jack Anderson (’15)


 

Each day, when I drive past Angel Stadium of Anaheim during my commute to and from campus, I am reminded of why I chose to go to law school. While some people dream of hitting the walk-off home run to win game seven of the World Series, I’ve always dreamt of making the deals behind the scenes that facilitate our national pastime.

It is no secret that the sports business is notoriously difficult to break into. Even without the added difficulty of a slumping job market, this field is simply oversaturated with job seekers looking to become the next great general manager or agent. Given the challenges, it is easy to see why some discard their aspirations of working in sports along with their childhood dreams of reaching the majors. However, while it is true that you can’t change the economy, the circumstances aren’t entirely out of your control. To quote the great philosopher and basketball coach John Wooden, “Do not let that you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”

Given the fact that there are relatively few attorneys in the sports world, the industry is tight knit. I discovered very quickly that meaningful networking is the key to the business since, more often the not, people will hire or recommend someone who they personally know and trust over a faceless person in a stack of resumes.

Networking in the sports business is something anyone can do. I came into law school with virtually no contacts in the sports world. After some due diligence, however, that quickly changed. Through
LinkedIn.com
, I discovered a few sports attorneys who attended my alma mater. After a quick email exchange, I had an offer for an informational interview and my first contact in the sports world.

You can’t do all of your networking from home, however, since networking is primarily a team sport. After attending an event put on by Chapman’s Entertainment and Sports Law Society, I was able to get to know a 3L who has been an excellent source of sage advice about the sports business. He has also graciously shared some of his contacts with me and introduced me to a terrific professional resource in the
Sports Lawyers Association
. Chapman Law’s Career Services Office has also been an excellent ally in my career pursuit. After voicing my dream of becoming a sports attorney to one of the career counselors, she helped me connect with an alum who has worked in some capacity with virtually every major American sports league.

A lot of things will still need to happen before I become a sports attorney. I can’t control how many job opportunities are on the market, but I can control what kind of position I am in when opportunities do arise. Building a professional network is one aspect of the business that is completely within your control and is something that should not deter you from pursuing your dream career.

About the Author:


anderson-jack


Jack Anderson (1L)



Jack Anderson is a first-year student at Chapman University School of Law and a native of Whittier, California. Jack attended Azusa Pacific University, where he graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration with a Minor in Political Science in 2012. An avid sports fan and business enthusiast, Jack aspires to work his way into a career involving sports or transactional law. When not attending classes or reading casebooks, you can likely find Jack a short distance away from campus at Angel Stadium of Anaheim cheering on his team.

The views expressed in the student blogs are those of the author and not the law school.