2010 Sports Law Clinic Applications

Applications are due October 1, 2009

Sports Law clinical placements are available during the spring semester in a variety of settings including legal departments of major leagues or sports franchises, and with law firms and lawyers doing sports law in representing individual players or teams/leagues. Placements are coordinated by Peter Carfagna, instructor of Sports Law courses at HLS, with assistance from Liz Solar of the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs.

This clinic has a pre-requisite or co-requisite of a HLS Sports Law course. Students must have completed or be concurrently taking a Sports Law course by the start of the clinical. Eligible Sports Law courses include:

• Sports and the Law: Examining the Legal History and Evolution of America's Three "Major League" Sports: MLB, NFL and NBA
• Sports and the Law: Advanced Contract Drafting Seminar (offered in Spring 09)
• Sports and the Law: Representing the Professional Athlete

In rare situations, fall or winter clinical placements may be available at the discretion of the instructor and if placements allow. If you are interested in a fall or winter clinical, please mention this in your application.

Placements

Placements are coordinated between the student, Peter Carfagna, and the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs. Most placements are long-distance. When applying, indicate the type of placements or subject areas you are interested in, as well as any contacts or past experience with a Sports Law agency that you want to work with through the clinical. Please note that you will likely have to commit to the clinical prior to knowing your specific placement. To provide an example of the opportunities available through the Sports Law clinic, a selection of prior student placements is listed below. Note that placements are not limited to the agencies below and not all are available annually.

Previous Sport Law Clinic placements include:

• IMG (Legal Department)
• Boston Celtics
• Cleveland Browns
• Shearman & Sterling (creation of a new women’s professional soccer league)
• Chicago Bears
• Skadden Arps - New York
• Boston Red Sox
• Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper, LLC
• Fantasy Sports Ventures, LLC
• Major League Baseball
• Seattle Mariners 

Clinical Requirements

Students who participate in the Sports Law clinic are required to submit reflection essays, a final evaluation, complete all clinical hours, and abide by all other clinical policies in accordance with the guidelines posted in the Clinical Student Handbook for Externships.

To Apply

Admission into the Sports Law clinic is by permission of the instructor, Peter Carfagna. To apply, submit the following materials to the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs in Austin 102 or to clinical@law.harvard.edu by October 1, 2009:

• Letter of interest that describes reasons for applying to the clinic, types of placements preferred, applicable sports law experience, and intended semester of clinic work
• Resume

Questions

Please contact the Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs if you have any questions about the Sports Law Clinic.