2
The Importance of
Law School
"Do I have to
go to law school
to become a
sports agent?"
One of the biggest and most fought over position in sports is, of course, the athlete. But behind every great athlete is an even better agent. Becoming a sports agent is an ever growing dream of young adults. Due to the fact that an agent brings a love of sports, the competitive nature, and a lust for money into one career, a lot of inspiring young adults find themselves fighting for this career. Although becoming a sports agent might sound like a piece of cake, it is highly competitive, and is almost as difficult as actually becoming a pro athlete. “There are around 900 registered agents with the NFLPA. Less than half of these agents actually have a client on an NFL roster, and vast majorities (70% - 75%) of NFL Players are represented by less than 100 of those agents” (Linton). So everyone is trying to get an edge to be one of the two lucky college students who earn their spots as becoming an interns at a big firm. But what gives those lucky few the edge, and what sets them apart? The answer: law school. Law school is a must if one wants to become a well known and successful sports agent, and will give them the over the other candidates.
Why is Law
School Important?
While applying for that internship at a big firm, where there are countless of other graduates with similar skills and education applying for the same job. Law school is one of the few things that sets people apart from the others and is obviously correlated with success in becoming a sports agent. “There’s no doubt that law school is a plus if you want to become an agent or land a job in sports. I scanned the bios of the top 10 agents and found that eight had attended law school”, said Jack Bechta, a well known and very successful NFL agent. It is extremely apparent that this success is directly correlated with law school. The main advantage that law school provides is the ability to make and negotiate the contracts of his/her clients. The thing about being a sports agent is one wants to be a one stop shop for his/ her client. To do this one must be able
to get their athletes endorsements, manage their finances and be able to handle all contract negotiations.
Of course, all sports agents negotiate the contracts of their clients, but without a law degree it is harder to understand and be able to see the little details that come with the contracts. “I do think the advantage of going to law school or being an attorney is that you may develop a trained eye to catch small but important contract details that might not be in the best interests of your client” (Bechta). The most important part of a sport agent job is negotiating contracts why not be the best that one can be at the most important part of the job, and law school helps one accomplish that goal.
Sprts Agents Plus/January, 2014
Jack Bechta