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Can a Lawyer Become a Sports Agent? Of Course!

By William Vogeler, Esq. on May 23, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A lawyer by trade, Scott Boras turned his skills to negotiating sports contracts.

In the process, he landed billions for his clients and earned hundreds of millions for himself. Forbes named him back-to-back "The World's Most Powerful Sports Agent."

But that's not important to you right now. What you want to know is, how do you get there. As a wise man -- not Jerry Maguire -- once said, "No matter where you go, there you are."

Get Started

It's no joke, but everybody starts where they begin. In other words, if you want to become a sports agent, then you better get going.

With a law license, you are already ahead of the game. It's a prerequisite for some league certifications, but more than the basic educational requirements for most agencies.

Sports agents, like lawyers, advocate for their clients and protect their interests. That typically means advising them, negotiating contracts, and servicing their legal needs. It may also include managing financial interests and public relations.

"It's not quite all Jerry Maguire," said Brian Samuels, who left law practice to become a sports agent. "The day-to-day involves a lot of managing clients."

Get Business

Negotiating player contracts is big, but endorsement contracts can be bigger. Samuels explained that one NBA player retained his firm just to do off-the-court business.

"So our job is to go out and try to procure endorsement deals, appearances, anything that could generate additional revenue for the player outside the player contract," he said.

This is where an erstwhile business lawyer, intellectual property attorney or any practitioner with good connections, can become a sports lawyer.

"Like any other business, it's very much a relationship game," Samuels said.

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