The career outlook for a sports lawyer today is very good. Sports are very big in the world today, whether it’s the MLB, NFL, NHL or college sports. The high wages received by many professional athletes demand the services of a qualified sports lawyer to represent them in salary negotiations, contracts and litigations. Becoming a sports attorney or lawyer can be the start of an exciting and fulfilling career. Here is an overview of sporting lawyers and what this career entails.
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What a Sports Lawyer Does
A sports attorney does many of the same things a regular lawyer does throughout his or her day. The difference is that the sports attorney is dealing with sports professionals or organizations. A sports attorney may represent an athlete, a coach, a team or an entire organization. This can also have an impact on the sports lawyer’s career outlook. Athletes spend their time participating in their chosen sports and rely on their sports lawyer to handle financial and legal transactions. They help the athlete understand the terms of their contracts, endorsements, bonuses and basic legal terminology.
How to Become a Sport Lawyer
With the exception of taking some slightly different college courses, sports attorneys have a lot of the same educational requirements as any other lawyer. They need to go to law school and they must have a four-year bachelor’s degree before they can attend law school. Prior to entering law school, the law student must pass the Law School Admissions Test. This test is to help the college determine the student’s readiness for law school and their skill at analytical reasoning, reading comprehension and logical reasoning.
Aspiring sports lawyers take many legal courses but must also take business courses like finance, marketing, associated ethical concerns, legal procedures and sports law. Sports law students should possess good writing skills because this will be an important part of their job as a sports lawyer. They’ll also need to take courses in contract law, sports management, negotiations, entertainment law, copyright laws and infringement.
Before the candidate can work as a lawyer, he or she must pass the state bar exam to be eligible for licensure. Gaining work as a sports lawyer is crucial for success in the sporting business. Sports lawyers often start off representing one or two athletes and obtain additional clientele through references or word of mouth.
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Career Outlook & Wage Potential
Lawyers are predicted to see employment growth of eight percent between 2016 and 2026 as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Lawyers who specialize in certain areas, like sports lawyers, often have even better career opportunities because their services are needed to help athletes deal with contract and employment issues. According to a March 2019 report by PayScale, sports lawyers earn an average annual wage of $95,000. Several factors can affect wages, including experience, the sport, the client and the location. Many sports lawyers also receive bonuses and commissions as part of their pay.
The sporting industry has never been more profitable or popular than in recent years with athletes being paid out-of-this-world wages. An individual who enjoys sports and has a desire to practice law can benefit from the good career outlook predicted for sports lawyers.
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