Through astute personal networking and support from the law school’s Career Services Office, Hallie Lindsey (JD ’19) secured a position as a law clerk for the Major League Baseball Players Association’s Business Affairs Department in New York City this summer.

Lindsey, who is eager to work in the area of sports law after graduation, handled corporate sponsorships and events for a sports team and sports agency before coming to Chapman University Fowler School of Law. When she learned about the position with the Players Association, she seized the opportunity to combine her prior experience in the sports industry with the palette of practical legal skills she has developed at Chapman.

As a law clerk, some of her legal work this summer touched on areas of her prior work in sports marketing, providing a deeper context to the subtleties of the legal issues involved. Lindsey was responsible for providing legal research on a variety of issues related to players’ rights.  She also researched right of publicity issues that arose in connection with the launch of a new social media app and helped draft licensing agreements with the association’s marketing clients, including a major cell phone advertiser account.

Lindsey also helped in the negotiation process for deals with major advertisers, serving as a liaison between agents and brand partners. This work provided an excellent, hands-on learning opportunity to enhance her negotiation skills. “It was very interesting because I got to see the legal ramifications of the work I previously did on the marketing side,” she said.

According to Lindsey, the internship solidified her passion and desire to pursue a career in sports law. In addition to putting her legal skills to work in the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s most powerful sports unions, the internship also helped her expand her network of legal and business contacts in the sports world. “For me, that was number one – being able to create those connections and relationships,” she said.