Like most sports fans who grew up in Las Vegas, third-year law student D’Ahna Scott (2024 J.D. candidate) had February 11, 2024, circled on her calendar for quite some time. The reason: It was the day that Las Vegas would host its first ever Super Bowl.
However, Scott’s interest in the monumental event was about more than civic pride. It was also about being raised in a family that has a passion for sports (including a father who played college football).
No, Scott had been looking forward to the big game because she played a small role in the behind-the-scenes preparations for Super Bowl 58 at Allegiant Stadium.
Scott, who is pursuing a J.D. with concentrations in both intellectual property and business and commercial law, joined the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee earlier this year as a community affairs and legal intern.
Her duties included helping to generate excitement for the game through multiple NFL initiatives (including the NFL Business Connect Program), as well as ensuring that all Super Bowl-related programs legally complied with intellectual property laws, gaming laws, and various NFL regulations.
“This experience provided me with a unique opportunity to interact with professionals from diverse fields within the sports industry, such as graphic design, marketing, communications, finance, and many others,” says Scott, who arrived at Boyd after graduating with a criminal justice, pre-law degree from the University of Nevada-Reno. “The collaborative environment enabled me to engage with individuals who bring their expertise to various facets of the sports world.”
Initially, Scott’s internship was slated to last only through summer 2023. However, much to her delight, she was asked to stay on through Super Sunday.
Needless to say, Scott — who is the current president of Boyd Law’s Sports and Entertainment Law Association — is all-in on a sports-centric legal career.
This article was originally published in the 2023 Boyd Law magazine. Boyd Law is the magazine of UNLV's William S. Boyd School of Law.
“My time with the Super Bowl Host Committee was incredibly enlightening and enriching, and solidified my desire to pursue a career in sports law,” she says. “My long-term aspiration is to secure a position within the sports sector that aligns well with my skills and interests. And without a doubt, my dream job is to be in-house counsel for the NFL or one of its teams."
