With Apoorvi Jha, On pursuing a Master’s from ISDE, Madrid and Being a Sports Lawyer

Ms. Apoorvi Jha is an Assistant Dean and Lecturer at Jindal Global Law School and an International Sports Lawyer, a career consultant, and a sports enthusiast. She did her graduation from Jindal Global Law School and her post-graduation from Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia (ISDE), Madrid. In her interview, she explains the procedure for application and selection process to pursue masters from ISDE. She also decodes the opportunities in Sports Law.

How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers? What motivated you to pursue the field of law?

My name is Apoorvi Jha and I am an Assistant Dean and Lecturer at Jindal Global Law School and an International Sports Lawyer, a career consultant, and a sports enthusiast. When I was young, I always wanted to become a professional Tennis player but academics was never an option that was to be left out. I chose to study Law while pursuing a career in Tennis because of the diverse opportunities that this field offers.

Being unaware of my capabilities in the academic field, Law seemed like an opportunity to discover myself, and lucky for me, that I did find my passion in Law and Academics after all.

When and how did you decide to pursue Master’s? How did you go about choosing a university? How did this influence your career?

I have always enjoyed playing Tennis and watching other sports as a spectator. I used to play Tennis and represent my University at Inter Law University Competitions. I was lucky that one of my professors from Jindal Global Law School saw my passion and asked me to explore the field of Sports Law.

After studying a course on Sports Law at JGLS, I found my passion and I pursued it. I did a lot of research on Universities abroad that were offering a Master’s in International Sports Law and finally decided to go for a summer school course that was offered by one of the founding institutions of the Master’s course that I wanted.

Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia (ISDE), Madrid is the Law School from where I have built my International Sports Law base. Having attended its summer school, I realized that this particular school offers my choice of Master’s in a very practical manner.

The Masters in International Sports Law course at ISDE was unique as its classes were taught by real-life Sports Lawyers. We got the first-hand opportunity to network with our probably future bosses and get to discuss future goals with the ones who are at the top of this industry.

For me, choosing ISDE and pursuing my Masters was a very strategic and a life-changing experience as this enabled me to realise my love for practicing Football Law at an international level. I joined one of the top international sports law firms in Brazil and enjoyed every second of my work day there.

Indeed being the academician that I am currently, it was not an easy move. My boss, Mr. Breno Tannuri motivated me to explore my capabilities further. He always knew that I was great at explaining matters to the masses and hence he made me give weekly Football Law classes to my office mates who weren’t as well off in this field.

Eventually, I transitioned to become a Lecturer at JGLS but my passion for Sports Law will keep on getting stronger as I continue to teach International Sports Law.

You have completed your Master’s from ISDE. Please share with our readers the application procedure for the same.

The application process at ISDE is very standard. You need to fill out the ISDE Admissions Form, which is available online on their website. Once you submit this, then a three-stage admission process and its requirements will be shared with you by ISDE.

First is to review the Resume, Statement of Purpose, and Letter of recommendation. In this stage, although ISDE does not require the applicants to have prior experience working in the field of Sports Law they do set a certain standard of having an inherent interest in Sports.

The second stage is a three-tier written test. If you clear the first stage, you will be asked to write an exam which would consist of a section on English, a Psychological Test, and a Legal Skills test.

If you get past this stage, then the last stage will be a personal interview.

What all courses are available for masters at ISDE?

There are several top Masters courses that ISDE offers and a few of them are the following:

• Master in International Advocacy
• Master in International Law, Foreign Trade and International Relations
• Master in Business Law, Arbitration and ADR
• Master in International Tax Advice
• Master in Corporate, Financial Management and M&A
• Master in Family and Childhood Law
• Master in International Sports Law
• Master in Sports Management and Legal Skills (in collaboration with F.C. Barcelona)
• Executive Master in Law and Sport Management ISDE
• Master in Industrial and Intellectual Property, Competition and New Technologies
• Master in Representation and Management of Artists and Athletes
• Master esports Business ISDE
• Master in Biotechnology and Law
• M&A Specialist Course
• Corporate Specialist Course
• Digital MBA
• Corporate Finance and Business Financing Instruments Specialist Course
• Master in Administration and Management of Health Services
• Arbitration and ADR Specialist Course

Sports Law is an unexplored area for most students. Can please share the opportunities in sports law?

There are several opportunities that Sports Law offers. One can pursue to become an International Sports Lawyer, like I was, and join an international or national sports law firm.

A Sports Lawyer, as a litigant or practitioner conducts several duties. A Sports Lawyer must be aware of all areas of Law like Intellectual Property Law, Commercial Law, Contract Law, Taxation Law, International Sports Regulations, National Sports Regulations, recent trends in sports like Fantasy Gaming and Esports, etc.

Because the role of a Sports Lawyer is so diverse, many career opportunities open up for Sports Law enthusiasts.

One can join a National or International Sports Federation and conduct administrative and regulator work towards the development of the sports and fulfillment of the Federation’s agendas. One can also become an Agent/Manager and represent athletes while conducting all of their legal duties. You can also explore practical as well as academic/research avenues by joining sporting organizations like SAI, International Olympic Committee, etc.

What would be your advice to our budding lawyers?

Simply keep calm and focus on your goals. Sometimes, it takes a lot more time to discover our passion for a particular career as compared to our peers but always remember that with perseverance and constant exploration, anyone can find a passion and achieve their goals in a positive manner. Law as a field is so diverse that I guarantee anyone who puts their heart into it, can find their goal and become the best of themselves.