In this blog post, Mr Deepak Narayan, MCIArb, Litigator, Madras High Court and a Mentor at Project Abhimanyu provides advice to a student while attempting to differentiate between the different legal career choices that are available to a law graduate. Project Abhimanyu acts as an external placement cell that guides a student about the available career options and job opportunities as well as helps them apply for internships and jobs. 

Query: I need guidance on career choices after graduation and assistance with application process for my LLM program abroad.  I would like to pursue a career in the field of sports law or allied areas of the same like IPR, Media.

Answer:

I am glad that you are wishing to pursue a career in sports law which is a road less travelled.

Sports law, in general, is a very wide area and the first step to pursuing a career in the same is to choose quarters that you might find most appealing to you. As a sports lawyer, you might find yourself representing various clients such as players, coaches, tournament referees, sports bodies, associations, clubs, companies manufacturing sports companies, sports media networks, etc., and the work involved may relate to litigation, arbitration, corporate work, contractual, IPR, Media, etc.

You have various options where firstly you can join Inhouse in a company that focuses on sports goods, sporting events, etc. and work on their various corporate, contractual and contentious works. Sports arbitration is also a prominent field where an internship or other work with a Centre such as Court of Arbitration of Sport which has huge flow of cases will definitely help. KLRCA has also propounded to start Malaysian Sports Arbitration Tribunal which is certainly worth a look. While India has a dearth of quality sport law specialists, you can also consider making your own practice or join a law firm that specializes in the area and provide legal support to sports organisations, companies, associations, players, etc.These are merely some of the many options that you can pursue, once you choose a specific field.

In your email, you had also mentioned that you are considering pursuing an LLM abroad in sports law. If you do pursue an LLM aborad, make sure you do a few internships in organisations specialising in any of the various areas mentioned above. An internship is not just about work experience but is also a gateway to network with your employer, and your chances of getting a job interview there increases multi-fold. Whichever university you might choose for an LLM, my advice is that you do it for the right reasons, i.e., to specialize in the field and not for solely trying to land jobs abroad. You are bound to get laurels in your chosen field as long as you are focused and put some hard work.