Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.
As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.
Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.
Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.
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9 replies on “Dynasty’s Fall 2008 Internship Class”
I’m just curious on how it works with the interns working from their current location. What kind of work are they expected to do? Also, what type of availibility is required?
Thanks,
Joe
The type of work cannot be confined to a response of your comment. But to give you some ideas…Daily News & Notes, marketing brochures, building social networking platforms for clients, cold calling, potential sponsors/endorsement spreadsheets, business growth opportunities, MUCH MUCH MUCH more.
It is a work-intensive position, so availability is important. If you want to talk to current interns about their experience, email either jherzig@dynastyreps.com or umirza@dynastyreps.com.
Is it legal for a student-athlete to intern or apply to work for an agent?
There’s really no issue in a NCAA student-athlete in working for an agent, as long as that agent isn’t soliciting that athlete to become his client. I played sports in college and interned for agents, and I know several others who did as well.
That is a very interesting question SC. I had looked into it in the past and there is no rule explicitly stating the legality or what would happen to one’s eligibility in this case. However, here is what I have concluded:
I see nothing wrong with a student-athlete interning for a sports agency as long as the following things don’t happen. 1) Any contract signed is only based off interning for a set period of time with no mention of future representation between the agency and the student-athlete. 2) It must be an un-paid internship. These are the two easiest restrictions to meet.
Granted I understand that student-athletes can work normal jobs where they are being paid for their labor like any other employee but I feel the line would be crossed if a student-athlete were paid to work for an agency. If the NCAA allowed this, it would set the way for agencies to say “we’re just paying X athlete $1000 an hour for the work he is doing for us.” A line must be set and it would be nearly impossible with inflation and many other variables to make a limit for how much an athlete could be paid.
Now the internship being unpaid and the lack of a contract mentioning representation are quite black and white. There is still two more areas though, that must be examined where the line is a tad bit more fuzzy. First is the year of the student-athlete in coordinance with the sport he/she plays . What I’m getting at is that since agencies cannot contact certain athletes until a specified time in their career, even if it is only talking, a student-athlete interning for a sports agency would violate that rule. Meaning you would probably not be able to do an internship even if it meets the requirements at the top if you are not at the year of your career for your sport where an agent can legally contact you. The final thing that must be mentioned is based off the location of the school. For example, in both Tennessee and Florida, an agent must first notify the school before contacting the player. Thus it gets to the point where for some states, even if all three of the aforementioned restrictions are met, the school still may have the ability to forbid the relationship from happening.
All in all, my suggestion would be to contact your coach or athletic director before doing anything else. In some situations, it may be very possibly for you to intern and it could be a decision that positively affects the rest of your life. However, make sure it’s not the reason you lose your scholarship and lose the ability to ever play your sport again or possibly even attend college.
Sorry posted without seeing Jason’s comment…While it worked for him and some of his friends, I would still be weary of some of the potential issues.
Be honest, Darren – your “human resources” dpt is just you in your basement, isnt it?
I was wondering if there are positions for interns during the spring semester. I currently have a full coarse load and would love to do the internship during the second semester, please let me know if you will be accepting internships then.
Bryan-
Feel free to send over a cover letter and resume and indicate that you are interested in the Spring. Thanks.