🏆 Career insights in Sports Law

Building on Diverse Foundations

Folasade grew up in Memphis, TN, a city known for its rich sports culture. Heavily involved in sports from a young age, she played basketball and ran track throughout high school. Her passion for sports continued at Clark Atlanta University, where she ran cross country, worked as the college newspaper's sports editor, and interned in the athletic compliance department. “I loved telling the stories of athletes and discovering what drove their passion,” she says. These experiences fueled her desire to stay connected to sports. She enrolled in law school at the University of Tennessee in 2013, intending to combine her love for sports with a legal career. 

However, her law school journey expanded her interest in criminal justice reform. During a summer internship at the Public Defender Service (PDS), she defended individuals in parole revocation hearings, deepening her fascination with criminal defense and litigation. After law school, Folasade joined the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) as a Trial Attorney, representing hundreds of individuals in bench trials, jury trials, and related criminal proceedings. In 2019, she transitioned to private practice with Godwin Morris, representing public service employees in court and arbitration proceedings. Later that year, she accepted an opportunity to return to DC, expanding her practice to represent federal employees in labor disputes as an Assistant Counsel at NTEU. Before joining the Nationals, she Co-Founded Solace Sports and Entertainment, a firm that has helped influencers, athletes, and entertainers negotiate and secure partnership agreements with brands such as Gatorade, Meta Platforms, Nike, and a host of technology start-ups. “While I enjoyed my work, I still strongly desired to work in sports full-time,” she reflects.

Navigating Challenges with Confidence

One of the significant challenges Folasade encountered was explaining her diverse career transitions and their relevance to sports law. She learned to present her varied experiences as strengths, illustrating how they contribute to her expertise in the sports industry. “I had to learn how to lean into my prior experiences and paint a picture of how my varied experiences could serve in my role with a sports organization. I also began embracing every part of my identity when I showed up in rooms.” This approach has been instrumental in navigating her career path. For those wanting to enter the sports industry after spending time in a different industry, it’s crucial to help employers understand your work outside of sports and how it transitions into the sports industry.

Folasade also notes the importance of resilience in the face of rejection. “Every person in sports will experience rejection at some point,” she says. “But those who broke into the industry (and remain in the industry) didn’t allow rejection to stop them from chasing after opportunities.” Her own career journey, from navigating different legal fields to establishing herself in sports law, represents the significance of perseverance and maintaining a positive outlook. 

Embracing Lifelong Learning and Adaptability

Folasade attributes much of her success to curiosity and adaptability. “People who are curious enough to remain lifelong learners are the ones I most admire and who happen to be the most successful,” she notes. These traits have guided the transition from criminal defense to sports law. At the Nationals, she values individuals who are skilled and easy to work with—“honest but respectful, optimistic but not naive, serious but not too serious.” This balance is crucial for navigating the sports industry and fostering a collaborative team environment.

Her diverse experiences, from working in criminal defense at Godwin Morris to handling labor disputes at NTEU, show the importance of adapting and growing. These roles sharpened her skills in representing public service employees and negotiating labor agreements, further improving her understanding of legal issues in the sports industry. Every role was an opportunity to learn something new and benefit her career in the long run. Her advice is clear for those aspiring to enter sports: “Be a great listener and question-asker. Create a habit of lifelong learning and master the art of listening to understand rather than listening to respond.”

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