Emily Nesi is a 3L JD student pursuing the GHamES concentration here at Seton Hall Law.  She has extensive experience in the field of sports both before and during law school.  During Summer 2023, Emily worked as a summer associate for O’Toole Scrivo, LLC and is currently interning for Madison Square Garden’s Entertainment Legal Division.

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What has led you to take an interest in Sports Law?
My interest in sports law was sparked by a combination of my passion for sports and a fascination with the legal aspects that govern the sports industry.  After graduating from Rutgers with a Sport Management degree, I was fortunate to gain invaluable experience in the industry in roles with the New York Mets and Excel Sports Management.  As my career continued, my interest in returning to school deepened and I realized pursuing law school would create a unique opportunity to advance my career opportunities within the Sports and Entertainment field.  In law school so far, I’ve been able to explore those interests deeper in legal roles and internships with Student Athlete NIL, Wasserman, and Madison Square Garden.

What classes have you taken here at Seton Hall Law that have enhanced your interest in Sports Law?
So far, I have taken Contracts, Employment Law, Gaming Law, Sports Law, Trademark and Unfair Competition, and Advanced Negotiations.  I find it interesting that nearly every single case book from every class I’ve taken has at least one case relating to sports in some way!

You worked as a legal intern at Wasserman.  What is Wasserman?  How did you find this position?  What did you do there?  What was the most interesting project you worked on?
Wasserman represents many of the world’s most iconic sports and entertainment figures, music artists, brands, and properties.  The Team Sports division specifically represents elite sports and media talent, broadcasters, coaches, sports executives, and influencers who play integral roles across every major global sport, spanning six continents.

When I saw their job posting for a legal intern during the Fall of 1L, I reached out to a former Rutgers classmate who was working there to find out who was hiring for the role and asked for an introduction email.  They had already filled the role, but I was introduced to their VP of Legal and we stayed in touch.  Some months later, they were again hiring for a legal intern and I was fortunate to have my resume back in consideration.

I worked as a legal intern in their Team Sports division.  In this role, I supported the Team Sports division by reviewing, redlining, and negotiating a wide range of client services and vendor agreements.  I reviewed a variety of master services agreements, statements of work, vendor contracts, venue agreements, production-related agreements, content creation-related agreements, and non-disclosure agreements.  Some of the interesting projects included NIL agreements and speaker engagements for media talent, but my most enjoyable project was assisting in filing a grievance with the NFLPA on behalf of a client.  It was a brief but unique insight into the relationship among players, agents, and the Player’s Association. 

Do you have any advice for students looking to go into the Sports Law field?
I think anyone who has an interest in the field will know that the number one piece of advice that we hear is: Network, network, network.  In my experience in the industry thus far, that holds true.  The good news is there are conferences, seminars, and networking events at Seton Hall Law and beyond to help connect with professionals in the field, and those professionals are usually eager to help. Also, the sports industry is constantly evolving, which makes it a dynamic and exciting field.  It also means it is increasingly important to stay informed about current events and legal challenges that face the industry.