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PROFILE
Profile: Mary Burns, Executive/Legal Assistant, Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, and outgoing president of NALS [by Regan Morris] Hey sports fans, how about a legal career with a ball club?
Most ball clubs—baseball, basketball,
the Brewers as in-house counsel, she asked
in national associations because, she said,
football—have in-house counsel these days.
Ms. Burns to come along as a paralegal. That
it’s important to keep studying throughout a
LawCrossing speaks with Mary Burns about
was 15 years ago.
legal career.
Learning sports law was fascinating, Ms.
NALS now certifies people in the legal pro-
the business of sports and sports law. Milwaukee Brewers legal assistant Mary
Burns said. But the job is not just about
fession and had its inaugural group of exams
Burns said people interested in a legal ca-
player contracts, although that is part of
last March.
reer and sports law should consider working
it. She said there are no fears that the new
directly for sports teams. The atmosphere
owner will try to take the Brewers out of
NALS has education sessions every Tuesday
sounds a lot more relaxed than the average
Milwaukee.
night at meetings across the country and
law firm.
now online, and Ms. Burns said the courses “The business of baseball is really a busi-
helped her on the job with the Brewers,
Although Ms. Burns, 44, and her husband
ness, so you do need your legal staff there
which was more challenging than her job as
were big Brewers fans before she started
with you to advise you on issues,” she said.
a secretary at the firm.
working for the team, she said she never
“There’s never a dull moment. I actually used
considered a legal career in sports. When
to do all of the player contracts, the scouting
“Being a smaller department, the duties
she started the job in 1990, she said the
contracts, player development contracts, all
expanded. I was very involved in human
Brewers were one of the only baseball teams
of that. And we did a little shifting of respon-
resources until we had to expand that de-
in America with an internal legal department.
sibilities, so I don’t do that anymore, but I do
partment and contracts,” she said. “For me
a lot of assisting with the drafting.”
personally, it really enhanced my knowledge
“We were the second ball club; the Boston
of the law by going to monthly meetings,
Red Sox had an internal legal department,”
Ms. Burns said she became a legal assistant
quarterly meetings for state associations,
she said. “But since that time, they have
because she was offered a scholarship to
and by participating on the national level.”
almost all gone to having in-house counsel,
become a legal secretary. Her father was
which is much more economical, as you can
ill and had open-heart surgery the year she
Ms. Burns’ term as NALS president ends
imagine.”
finished high school. She wanted a higher
this March, and Mary Jo Denman (see next
education, but her options were limited.
week’s profile) will take over the presidency.
expert: Wendy Selig-Prieb, daughter of
“My only alternative was really if I wanted to
NALS classes are now offered online and
baseball commissioner Bud Selig. The Selig
go advance my education was to go into the
are free to members. “Which is great for
family had owned the Brewers for almost 35
military, which I really was prepared to do,”
our members who sometimes are not able
years but recently sold the team to Los Ange-
she said.
to travel either to their state meetings or to
She learned sports law on the job from an
les entrepreneur Mark Attanasio.
national meetings,” Ms. Burns said. “They But her shorthand teacher recommended
can still participate in free education.”
Ms. Burns became involved because she
the associate’s degree scholarship, and Ms.
worked as a legal secretary for Wendy
Burns applied and won, which allowed her
NALS has about 5,000 members and bills
Selig-Prieb at Foley & Lardner. Ms Burns
to stay close to her family and study. Ms.
itself as “an association of legal profes-
had worked as a legal assistant at the firm
Burns has been active in NALS throughout
sionals.” The group was formed in 1929 as
for 10 years. When Ms. Selig-Prieb moved to
her career and urges people to get involved
an association for legal secretaries but has
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