Nyla Lewis L’25 completed her residency with USA Lacrosse’s general counsel, helping the organization prepare for the Olympic Games and affirming her path toward sports and entertainment law.
For as long as she can remember, sports have been integral to shaping Nyla Lewis’s identity. Her experience in the Residency-in-Practice Program confirmed they’ll remain central to her life through a career in sports law.
A dual-sport collegiate athlete in field hockey and track at Christopher Newport University, where she majored in American studies and political science, she brought her passion for athletics into the classroom when she decided to pursue a career in law. Lewis was drawn to Elon Law for its focus on experiential learning, and she quickly identified sports and entertainment law as her niche — a place where her personal experiences intersect with her professional ambitions.
That focus came into full view during her residency with USA Lacrosse.
After spotting a prior internship posting with USA Lacrosse, Lewis reached out directly to the organization’s general counsel, pitching herself and explaining Elon Law’s Residency-in-Practice Program. That led to a 10-week placement where she worked closely with the General Counsel on projects of national significance — contributing to the organization’s preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Using her legal knowledge, she edited the organization’s corporate governance policies and bylaws to be compliant with the requirements of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
Lewis also was able to collaborate with other departments, specifically the Corporate Partnerships Department, where she assisted in negotiating and drafting a multi-year apparel sponsorship with Capelli Sport.
The experience not only gave her firsthand insight into the practice of sports law but also solidified her passion for a career in the field.
Elon Law’s Residency-in-Practice Program is the cornerstone of an innovative curriculum that emphasizes legal skills through hands-on learning. Every second-year law student spends the winter or spring in a full-time, 10-week placement under the supervision of jurists and lawyers inspired to mentor future legal leaders.
This is the fourth in a series of conversations with Elon Law students in the Class of 2025 reflecting on their recent residencies-in-practice.
Share how you were inspired to pursue a career in the law, and how did you first learn about Elon Law?
A career in the law has always been my goal. Specifically, I have always wanted to study the intersection of the law and athletics because sports have been a significant part of my life since I was young and throughout college as a dual-sport athlete. In fact, being a college athlete brought me to Elon Law. I first heard of Elon Law because one of my college teammates had a twin sister who was attending Elon Law. We communicated about the law school, which really helped me make my decision.
How did you identify your residency as an option?
I coordinated my residency placement through the independent placement option. Previously, I saw a posting for a summer legal internship with USA Lacrosse and the intern needed to be able to earn class credit for their work. I made a mental note that USA Lacrosse accepts legal interns and that interns earned class credit for working. Knowing that the residency program required earning class credit for the work, I thought this would be a good match. I sent an introductory email to USA Lacrosse’s general counsel for explaining what residency was and essentially pitched myself for the job.
Describe your daily responsibilities at the office.
Working alongside the general counsel, some unanticipated tasks emerged daily. However, my main project was working on the National Governing Body application to submit to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
For its application, USA Lacrosse had to complete a full edit and audit on all corporate policies, bylaws and national team player contracts. This exposed me to the process of auditing corporate policy documents, redlining agreements and allowed me to practice the skill of drafting agreements. It was very rewarding to see the project through over my 10-week residency.
Other projects I worked on included completing an audit of the contract management system, which contained over 400 contracts. This involved high attention to detail and taught me about contract lifecycle management. I also independently created and presented a risk assessment concerning USA Lacrosse’s compliance with ADA web content standards. I also assisted in policing USA Lacrosse’s trademarks. I was responsible for over 200 takedowns of products that infringed on the organization’s protected marks. As someone who is very interested in intellectual property, I thoroughly enjoyed getting hands-on experience with this assignment.
Based on your experience, what’s surprised you the most about the practice of law?
The most surprising aspect of my residency was discovering how much more I learned through practical experience compared to a classroom setting. In just 10 weeks, I encountered and explored many more legal topics during my residency than I ever did in a ten-week class.
In what ways, if any, has your residency experience shaped your plans for after graduation?
This experience truly solidified my passion and commitment to pursuing a legal career within the sports and entertainment industry. It was amazing to learn from such an influential woman in the industry. My supervisor was an amazing leader to learn from because she led by example with her strong work ethic, dedication to making the organization a better place for employees and members, and her emphasis building on relationships.
I’ve always said that I wanted to work in sports and entertainment, so it was an amazing opportunity to work under the supervision of someone who had my dream job as general counsel for a sports organization. In-house legal roles offer the unique opportunity to work toward a common mission with one client, while collaborating across departments to shape strategic decisions. Moreover, merging my lifelong passion for athletics with a legal career allows me to contribute meaningfully to an industry that has personally impacted me.
Share one “quick tip” for current and prospective students as they prepare for their own Elon Law residencies or, more broadly, law school in general.
My biggest piece of advice would be to say yes to everything. If your supervisor asks if you want to sit in on a meeting, then the answer is yes. When they ask if you want to work on a certain project, the answer is also yes. Saying yes to all the opportunities you are offered, demonstrates a strong work ethic and exposes you to many different areas of the practice.