Graduate - Legal Intern

National Basketball Association (NBA) • Law School Legal Intern • New York, NY, US • 2d ago

WORK OPTION: The NBA currently provides eligible employees the option of working remotely one day per week.

Position Summary

The 2026 NBA Summer Internship is a 10-week program that runs from June 8 – August 14, 2026. The program gives participants the opportunity to learn about basketball, develop critical career skills, and contribute to meaningful projects across a range of departments in the NBA and its affiliate leagues (WNBA, G League, NBA 2K). In addition to on-the-job experience, interns are invited to participate in a broad array of professional development programs and community and social experiences.

Interns should reflect excellent academic standing and have strong written and verbal communication skills. Additionally, we look for candidates who possess leadership skills as demonstrated through relevant extracurricular or community activities.

More information on the Summer Internship program experience can be found here.

Role Overview

Selected interns will work with our in-house Legal department, participating in meetings, conducting research, drafting documents, and providing objective legal analysis relevant to furthering the substantive goals of our clients, the various business units of the NBA, and the NBA's constituent teams. Interns may work in different areas including deal support, intellectual property, litigation, and basketball-related matters.

The Legal department provides advice and counsel with respect to all the company’s activities and businesses on a global basis. For the NBA and WNBA, the department assists in the negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements with players, including the salary cap system, the anti-drug program, and the grievance/arbitration process. For both of these leagues and the NBA G League, the department provides advice on the structuring of player contracts, trades, disciplinary matters, and playing rules issues. League transactional lawyers administer policies governing the transfer and relocation of teams, the approval of new arenas, and the regulation of team ownership and debt.

Major Responsibilities

May include, but not limited to:

Conducting short-term and long-term research on existing projects within the department
Participating in weekly meetings and tracking action steps and progress of major assignments
Supporting legal review and advisement on projects related to the media, social responsibility, partnerships, corporate, finance, compliance, and intellectual property of the NBA and its affiliate leagues
Supporting with drafting youth basketball safety compliance policies and manuals, equity deals, player appearance agreements, data privacy work, etc.

Required Education & Professional Experience

Enrolled in a JD Program
Previous law firm/legal experience preferred

Preferred Skills & Knowledge Attributes

Strong project management skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite
Excellent record of academic and professional achievement
Outstanding written and oral presentation skills
Ability to work in a fast-paced work environment with competing demands
Strong commitment to quality work product and organizational ethics, integrity, and compliance

Salary Range

$35/hr

Job Posting Title

Summer Intern

We Consider Applicants For All Positions On The Basis Of Merit, Qualifications And Business Needs, And Without Regard To Race, Color, National Origin, Religion, Sex, Gender Identity, Age, Disability, Alienage Or Citizenship Status, Ancestry, Marital Status, Creed, Genetic Predisposition Or Carrier Status, Sexual Orientation, Veteran Status, Familial Status, Status As A Victim Of Domestic Violence Or Any Other Status Or Characteristic Protected By Applicable Federal, State, Or Local Law.

The NBA is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace. To safeguard our employees and their families, our visitors, and the broader community from COVID-19, and in consideration of recommendations from health authorities and the NBA’s own advisors, any individual working onsite in our New York and New Jersey offices must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The NBA will discuss accommodations for individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance.

About The NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2024-25 season featured a record-tying 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.3 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms. NBA Cares, the NBA’s global social responsibility platform, partners with renowned community-based organizations around the world to address important social issues in the areas of education, inclusion, youth and family development, and health and wellness.