In the first of our J.D. class of 2024 series, we meet 1L Carter Allen, who has had a variety of work experiences in the sports industry, including jobs/internships with Major League Baseball, the National Football League, collegiate basketball, and professional racing. He hopes to one day  combine his love of sports with a career in law. 

Could you discuss a bit about your professional background and interest in sports.

Over the past five years I’ve had the opportunity to gain real-world, professional experience across the sports industry at the league, collegiate and professional levels. After internship stops with the Chicago Cubs, the Final Four, and NASCAR, I spent four seasons working in the Premium Service Department for the San Francisco 49ers.

How do they connect to your decision to pursue law as a career?

Being able to see firsthand the type of impact the 49ers legal team had on not just the organization or league, but the local community and nation at large played a big part in my decision to pursue a law career. I, too, want to be someone with the ability to spark change in our world at the intersection of sport and law. 

What do you hope/plan to do with your legal education (realizing, of course, that may change during the course of your studies)?

By attending Minnesota Law, I’m hoping to build on the introductory legal experience I gained through my graduate coursework, and lay the necessary foundation to one day reach my ultimate goal of becoming general counsel for an NFL team. 

Why did you select Minnesota Law?

Minnesota Law offered me the unique blend of academic prestige as a top-25 law school and ideal location in relation to my career aspirations, with Minnesota being home to six professional sports teams. Add in the university’s emphasis on experiential learning, and the decision felt like a no-brainer.

Minnesota Law strives for a diversity of perspectives in the classroom. What are you hoping to add to the mix?

As an adopted child, I believe I’ve had a unique life experience that lends itself to a different perspective on diversity and life in general, having had the rare opportunity of being raised within one culture and then immersed in another later in life. That aside, I’m hoping to add some elderly wisdom to the mix at the ripe age of 29, along with the insight gained from my time in the corporate world prior to law school.

Minnesota Law as an institution emphasizes leadership. What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership comes in many forms, but to me, it’s inspiring others through example, and maximizing the potential of those around you. Styles of leadership may differ from person to person, but all leaders can be relied on, serve as sources of guidance, and do the little things when no one is watching.

Thing you are most looking forward to about being a law student?

There’s plenty I’m looking forward to from an educational standpoint, but I’ve always loved the comradery that comes along with attending school. Some of the strongest bonds/friendships I have today have come as a result of working within a cohort, and I can’t wait to meet everyone in my section.

What are your hobbies/ interests?

Snowboarding during the winter and wakeboarding during the summer are high on my list, and I love to travel whenever I have the chance. I’m also a sub-par gamer, a somewhat frequent gym-goer, and a Netflix aficionado. If anyone can help add “cooking” to my list of hobbies, please let me know!

How do you like to spend your free time?

I’m an extreme extrovert at my core, so I usually like to fill my free time with as much as I can, and rarely turn down an invitation to a social event. Concerts, sporting events, happy hours, you name it – I’m likely game. Just please don’t ask me to go hiking.

Favorite inspirational quote, book, or personal hero that you would like to mention?

“You know what the happiest animal on earth is? It’s a goldfish. You know why? It’s got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish.” – Ted Lasso