Legal HBCU Fellow

ABOUT THE PROGRAM 

The Atlanta Falcons and Wells Fargo are dedicated to leveling the playing field for HBCU students interested in kicking off careers in Sports & Entertainment. Through our unique partnership with Wells Fargo, students will participate in a paid, 10-week fall semester program, working up to 20 hours per week at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta or the Atlanta Falcons Training Facility in Flowery Branch.  

Fellows gain hands-on experience, mentoring from industry veterans, behind the scenes access, and insight into how brands collaborate across sponsorship and brand engagement. Participating HBCUs include Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College. 

ABOUT THE ATLANTA FALCONS 

The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football club and member of the National Football League (NFL). The team’s headquarters and practice facility are located on a 50-acre site in Flowery Branch, Georgia. The Falcons’ NFL expansion franchise was awarded in 1965 and acquired by current owner Arthur M. Blank in 2002. Under Blank’s leadership, the Falcons have become one of the League’s premier teams on and off the field, playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For more information, visit www.atlantafalcons.com, and follow@AtlantaFalcons. 

WHO WE ARE 

We use our core values as a compass to guide our decisions because they are our North Star. If we live our core values daily, we know everything else will take care of itself. We enjoy a culture rooted in giving back to others through our time, talents, labor, and financial commitment. We are successful when we collaborate with and value each other like family, maintain a hunger to delight guests and continuously innovate, listen closely for even the smallest need for improvement, stand up for convictions, and genuinely own our responsibilities as if our name is on the outside of the building. 

OUR IDEAL CANDIDATES 

Actively Listen – Take an active role in listening by being present in the moment, using healthy body language, and ensuring joint understanding. When we read between the lines and hear what others are saying and what they are not saying, we encounter amazing opportunities to go the extra mile in serving them. 

Collaborate – Realize that we are better together than we are alone. We achieve much better results when others have the opportunity to add their diverse perspectives. Be open to feedback and actively seek input from a variety of people at varying levels because the best ideas come from those who are closest to those we serve. 

Engage in Servant Leadership – Put others ahead of yourself even when it’s difficult. Find opportunities to lead by example in the way you pitch in and help others. Giving back to others is at the heart of what we do. 

Build Relationships – Cultivate trust in relationships by showing respect and sensitivity. Invest time in helping others to continuously improve by listening to their ideas and helping them to continuously improve. 

Own Results – Own issues you encounter even when they are outside of your area of responsibility by taking action or seeking out the needed resolution. You are empowered and expected to take risks aimed at exceeding the expectations of our guests. Take advantage of this rare opportunity by utilizing available resources. 

DEPARTMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

The Legal Department supports the Atlanta Falcons by providing legal guidance across all business operations including, marketing, technology, partnerships, and live event production. The HBCU Fellows Program offers hands-on exposure to legal work within a professional sports organization, with a focus on learning, collaboration, and practical experience. 

This fellow will have exposure to opportunities such as: 

• Marketing: Supporting legal review of marketing materials, sweepstakes, and promotions; attending Marketing and Legal meetings; and assisting with intellectual property protection matters. 
• Sports Technology: Gaining exposure to cybersecurity, data privacy, and information security issues, including review of technology and vendor agreements involving network infrastructure and data handling. 
• Stadium Production: Assisting with talent agreements and learning about legal considerations related to live event production and game-day operations. 
• Home Depot Backyard (HDBY): Attending HDBY and Legal meetings and supporting legal needs related to programming and events. 
• Partnerships / Sponsorships: Assisting with review of sponsorship term sheets and collaborating on projects to streamline sponsorship assets used in long-form agreements. 
• HBCU Fellows Legal Support: Assisting with drafting waivers for Fellows’ programming and related events. 

Overall, the Legal Fellow will gain a broad introduction to legal operations in professional sports while developing transferable skills in contract review, compliance, communication, and cross-functional collaboration. 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 

• Must be a rising Sophomore – Senior, all majors are welcome to apply, but a relevant declared major would be best suited. For other majors, applicants must have explicitly demonstrated prior work or extracurricular experience in this field. 
• Candidate must be able to work well under pressure, be self-motivated and able to work on multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Candidate must be flexible in working hours including nights, weekends and holidays when needed. 
• Preference for work availability on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings to attend department meetings. 
• Embody our core values (Put People First, Include Everyone, Lead by Example, Listen and Respond, Give Back to Others, and Innovate Continuously), academic excellence and extracurricular leadership 
• Must be enrolled full-time at an Atlanta-based HBCU program at the time of the assignment (Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, or Morris Brown College) 
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident 
• Weekend availability for some Falcons home gamedays. Duties may fall on evenings, weekends and holidays. 
• Must have access to reliable transportation to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and/or Training Ground.