Third year student, Jonathan Stahler, will be interning this spring in the Legal Department at SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) in Los Angeles. SAG-AFTRA represents more than 165,000 entertainers, performers, journalists, and other media professionals. Jonathan will be assisting in client arbitrations, contract enforcement with the National Labor Relations Board, drafting demands, working on various intellectual property projects, and researching legal issues.
Jonathan brings a strong desire to practice in sports and entertainment law. “I've always been passionate about the sports and entertainment fields because athletes and entertainers bring the rest of us so much pleasure and joy in their work, and I want to protect and positively affect those people now as well as in the future.”
This opportunity arose through an alumnus of TJSL who Jonathan connected with through the Career Services Mentor Program on Symplicity. “The TJSL Symplicity mentor program clearly helped open the door for this great opportunity.” Jonathan and his mentor had regular phone calls and eventually met in person at Pepperdine's National Entertainment Law Moot Court Competition where Jonathan was a competitor and his mentor was a judge. “We got to speak for quite a while at the mixer after the competition. It was then when I expressed my desire and experience in sports and entertainment law and he mentioned a potential opportunity at SAG-AFTRA.”
After connecting at the competition, Jonathan’s mentor, who also had interned at SAG-AFTRA, passed on Jonathan’s resume, writing sample, and references to a TJSL alum who works at SAG and Jonathan received an interview. During his interview he was able to capitalize on his previous experiences. “My internships with Encore Sports & Entertainment and Domann & Pittman Sports Representation & Management, my experiences with the Moot Court Honor Society and ADR Society, and my published article definitely helped me and were big talking points during my interview.”
This internship presents a path for Jonathan to develop his career. “An internship with SAG-AFTRA is a wonderful opportunity that I am so grateful for, and I know it will help me continue to gain knowledge and experience in entertainment and the law.”
