2L and Utah native Thomas Newman recalls being a “huge sports fan” while growing up, and 2L Calvin Strandt played Division 1 baseball at Abilene Christian University in Texas. When Utah’s new National Hockey League team, Utah Hockey Club, posted a spring field placement opportunity, both Newman and Strandt were excited to apply. After a long and competitive interview process, the two learned they had been selected in mid-December 2024 and began their assignment in January 2025.
“I have wanted to pursue a career in professional sports for as long as I can remember, and I truly love everything about this field placement. We’re building something in Utah that is special,” Strandt says. “I can see the intersection between professional sports and the legal side directly. I’m working with contracts, rule interpretation, and basically everything an attorney would do in a completely different context. I’m also working with professionals at the top levels of their jobs who are willing to teach me but also give me the freedom to complete projects in my own way.”
Newman echoes Strandt’s comments about the team’s professionalism and notes that his work feels personal.
“I know what local sports franchises mean to the Utah community, and it’s rewarding getting to play a role in the success of one of our local teams. It’s surreal to know that my work may have an impact on Utah winning its first Stanley Cup,” he says.
A typical day at the Utah Hockey Club involves two different venues (the Delta Center on game days and the Utah Olympic Oval, where the team practices) and lots of research. Newman explains that he and Strandt draft contract exploration memorandums, which analyze player and club rights under the NHL collective bargaining agreement and outline market research to support the club’s contract negotiations with players. They also study NHL arbitration briefs and official arbitrator decisions to better understand the NHL’s salary arbitration jurisprudence. Understanding this jurisprudence helps inform certain contract negotiations, while also sharpening their ability to draft persuasive salary arbitration briefs.
“We regularly work with the assistant general manager and manager of salary cap and hockey strategy to complete general research projects that inform strategic decisions ahead of critical periods like the NHL trade deadline, draft, or free agency negotiations,” Newman explains.
Strandt has enjoyed observing the trade deadline and doing market research on current players and prospects.
“We held a mock negotiation where I acted like the player’s agent and Thomas acted as the team representative. We performed it in front of the hockey operations staff to predict the different arguments that might come up in negotiation,” he recalls. “It was a really cool opportunity to negotiate in front of the general manager, assistant general manager and the rest of the staff and talk about what might happen.”
Finding field placements through the experiential education program
The opportunity with Utah Hockey Club wouldn’t be available, Newman says, without Utah Law’s experiential education program.
“This is a unique area of the law, and it’s an invaluable experience getting to step outside of the classroom and learn from professionals in this field,” he says. “The staff at Utah Law are anxiously ready to help you succeed as a student and professional. Professors, the Career Development Office, and Utah Law’s experiential education team can help you stay informed on upcoming opportunities, or they can help point you towards opportunities that relate to your career goals and interests.”
It’s also important to stay involved in areas of law you’re interested in, Newman explains.
“If you’re able, attend conferences, read newsletters, or try to stay generally informed on what areas of practice you are interested in. Use the resources that are available to you,” he says. “Be aware of your track to graduation so you know what credit hours you need to set aside for your field placement.”
For Strandt, the best advice for students seeking field placements is to be proactive.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve reached out to general counsels, assistant general managers, any attorney in a professional sports organization. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with a lot of great people,” he says. “If there’s something you want to do, take initiative. Don’t let yourself get in the way—just go all in. That’s been so important as I’ve progressed here at the Utah Hockey Club.”
Choosing opportunities at Utah Law
After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Utah and interning with the Salt Lake City Council, Disability Law Center, and U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, Newman worked as a paralegal for in-house counsel at a software company in Lehi, Utah. He recalls that Utah Law stood out for its unique culture and commitment to student success.
“Law school is notorious for its competitive environment, but Utah Law has a unique student body where people are close and want to see each other succeed. It seemed like a place where diverse backgrounds and experiences were valued,” he says. “Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, and there is so much to do here. In many respects, it is the place you would want to be for years to come. Utah Law has a lot of connections to local employers, and they have committed a lot of resources to student success and well-being. The more I learned about Utah Law, it sort of became a no-brainer.”
In fact, Newman experienced the school’s determination to help students firsthand.
“I have faced a lot of health challenges, from living with a lifelong genetic disorder to needing lower-back surgery in the middle of last semester. Through it all, Utah Law has worked with me to succeed and advance in my career. They have valued me as a student and as a person,” he says.
The faculty—who are all “extremely friendly,” Newman says—also make a difference and encourage him to participate in various events.
“Last year, Utah Law held an event on name, image and likeness (NIL) and its impact on collegiate sports. There was a panel featuring college athletes, a professional athlete, one of my professors, attorneys, and professionals working in sports law. My professor on the panel invited me to attend, and it was an incredible night,” he recalls. “I loved getting to network with professionals in the field and getting to learn more about career opportunities in sports law. I think that event helped pique my interest in sports law and was one of the factors in me applying for the field placement with the Utah Hockey Club.”
Mentors also helped Strandt decide to pursue a career in law. He recalls his hitting coach striking up a conversation in a Louisiana hotel gym about his plans after college (Strandt earned his bachelor’s degree in finance).
“He built me up through that experience and was important to me in providing assurance and confidence. He told me, ‘If you have a goal, go do it,'” Strandt remembers. “After that conversation, I had a lot of wonderful mentors, including the entire coaching staff, who encouraged me to enter law school as a means to the professional sports world.”
Strandt then fell in love with Utah because of its reputation for winter sports and potential for brand-new teams.
“The entire sports world has its eyes on Salt Lake City for relocation and expansion. The Olympics are coming again, there are rumblings about a Major League Baseball team, there’s speed skating, and there’s skiing and snowboarding all located here. Salt Lake City is a great market for sports, and it’s only going to increase,” he says. “I wanted to come to Utah to tailor myself for a role in a place that is ripe for growth.”
He was also impressed by Utah Law’s rankings and the proximity to the mountains.
“Where else can you complete a final and be on the chair lift within the same hour? I’m getting a world-class education, the field placements are great, the placements after graduation are great, and the bar passage rate is great. When you combine that with an emerging city for sports, it felt like the perfect place to be,” he says.
Looking to the future
Both students will continue their field placement with the Utah Hockey Club through summer 2025 and will then begin their final years of law school. Newman says he is interested in both in-house counsel and transactional roles and would love to continue working in sports law after graduation.
“Legal professionals have the capacity to help parties collaborate and solve problems. We can use the law as a framework to bring multiple people or entities together to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes,” he says. “The more I have learned in this field, the more I understand that it is a privilege to be an attorney, and a privilege to use legal expertise to advise others and solve complex problems on their behalf. That’s something that I am both passionate about and find motivating each day.”
Strandt also wants to work in sports law and hopes to work in-house for a professional sports organization, helping to form a successful team.
“I love when law is being used to not only solve problems, but to build something. In the sports context, it would be building up a franchise or being competitive or winning games, but law can also be a catalyst for growth in any field,” he says. “Law encourages creativity and proactivity, and my passion stems from the growth and innovation mindset that law provides.”
Learn more about opportunities available through the experiential education program.