The last place that Lisa Hurns (JD ’18) expected to be this summer was attending an ESPY Awards pre-party at the posh Beverly Hills Hotel. Nevertheless, last month the Fowler School of Law rising 3L found herself at the high-profile event, mingling with professional athletes the evening before they made their way into ESPN’s flagship annual awards ceremony. Hurns is spending the summer working as a legal intern for The Players’ Tribune, which hosted a lavish pre-party for the event.

lisa hurns

Lisa Hurns with Kenny Britt, wide receiver in the NFL, at The Players’ Tribune pre-ESPY Awards party

The Players’ Tribune is an online platform, founded by former Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter, where athletes publish articles and web content. As a legal intern, Hurns handles contracts for athletes, brand sponsors and marketing partners. She secured the internship after meeting the website’s Vice President of Business Affairs Chad Payne while working as a co-organizer of Chapman’s Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium this past spring. Payne brought his expertise to the symposium as a member of the event’s opening panel, “Sports Law 2.0: Broadening the Scope of Sports Law.”

“When most people think of sports law, they assume you are either an agent or working for a team,” Hurns said. “There are so many other choices for future sports lawyers, and that was one of the things I wanted to make sure we highlighted at this year’s symposium. That is also something I love about working with The Players’ Tribune.”

The summer position has provided Hurns with an opportunity to work in an environment much like an in-house counsel’s office, while also letting her focus on her passion for sports.

“When I decided to go to law school, I knew that I eventually wanted to be involved in something that I was excited about, both professionally and personally,” she said. “Sports law gives me the best of both worlds, and it even helps me utilize my previous work experience in human resources.”

In addition to her position with The Players’ Tribune, Hurns is working as a law clerk for an employment law and personal injury firm, Rodriguez & King Attorneys At Law, this summer. Although each job is vastly different, she said she appreciates the opportunity to build her experience in both fields.

Above: Lisa Hurns (left) at Chapman’s Entertainment & Sports Law Symposium with keynote speaker Stan Kasten and co-symposium organizer, Lauren Fitzpatrick (JD ’18)