How to Become a Sports Lawyer

Sports law is a relatively new field in the area of law, and there is now a body of statutory and case law that has helped developed specialized lawyers in the field of, yet not limited to sports. Sports lawyers must be entertainers and specialists and be convincing public representatives.

Instructions

1. Obtain a law degree, with a specialization in sports in the third year of the degree program. A basic law degree is essential to becoming a sports lawyer; however, some lawyers may not specialize in sports but get certificates in sports law.

2. Understand the difference between a sports agent and sports lawyer. Sports agents represent individual players and groups while sports lawyers are on the compliance side covering sports litigation, whether criminal or civil. Sports lawyers can be sport agents but agents need not be lawyers.

3. Correlate between law and entertainment. Sports lawyers must understand the nuances of public entertainment and how the actions of their clients can impact the followers of the sport.

4. Get experience and certification for labor, corporate finance, anti-trust, contract negotiation and intellectual property law.

5. Keep diversifying your certifications. Sports law is a competitive field that keeps growing. The more diverse a sport lawyer's qualifications within the field of law, the better his chances for career growth.

Tips & Warnings

• A sports lawyer must be qualified to identify legal liability, negotiate contracts and understand union law. Along with understanding the correlation between law and sport they must have an understanding of sports, both locally and on an international level, and in essence critically evaluate the solutions to problems in sports in society on a more individual level.