Derek Garcia (Photo via LinkedIn)
Trying to find a dream job as a law student is sometimes as difficult as going five rounds in the Octagon. You’re probably going to be bloodied and bruised, but emerging as the victor after a brutal fight is all that counts when you’ve got debt on the line. That’s what happened for this law student when he secured his dream job at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) legal department in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Imagine, if you will, the effervescent Bruce Buffer shouting this at the top of his lungs:
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Ladies and gentlemen, IT’S TIME!!! Fighting out of the red corner, this former Olympic hopeful is a second-year student at the University of New Mexico School of Law. Holding numerous national wrestling titles and hoping to turn this internship into a full-time job, it’s DEREK GARCIA!!!
Garcia, who went to UNM Law to “pursue [his] dreams of working in sports,” has been working as a legal intern for UFC since mid-January, and says, “I want a job where I can wake up in the morning and be excited for the day. That’s what sports and entertainment law does for me.” Like most athletes, Garcia credits God for helping him to snag this job, but in this case, he thinks New Mexico helped too.
“God’s will has been my biggest contributor, but this coupled with the fact that UNM School of Law is a rapidly rising law school that I feel really stands out in the application process also contributed,” Garcia stated. “I am sure these types of employers do not see applicants from our area frequently, but I think this is the stepping-out-of-the comfort-zone and willingness to grow professionally that me and many other UNM law students exhibit which separates us from the competition.”
Congratulations to Derek Garcia as he embarks upon his career in sports law. From the sound of it, he may have exactly what it takes to become a champion.
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Second-Year Student Pins Big Opportunity with UFC Legal Department [UNM School of Law]
Staci Zaretsky has been an editor at Above the Law since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.