A lifelong NASCAR fan, Jenna Mazza L’26 has a photo of herself at age 4 standing with legendary driver Jimmie Johnson’s diecast car. So, imagine her elation when she had the opportunity to take a photograph with Johnson himself this May at the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Mazza, at age 4, standing with legendary driver Jimmie Johnson’s diecast car.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience is just one of the many benefits that came along as Mazza spent her summer working in NASCAR’s legal department in Charlotte, North Carolina. NASCAR’s Internship Program includes opportunities for law students to learn about various areas that its legal department deals with daily. Mazza had the opportunity to learn about and draft contracts for licensing agreements, real estate issues with various racetracks, intellectual property (IP) use, privacy and media law.
During her internship, Mazza was also able to attend a screening of “American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans,” which began streaming on Amazon Prime in June, while learning about rights and clearances and music licensing.
Mazza smiles with driver Jimmie Johnson in May at the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“I’ve learned so much and gotten exposure to the variety of work a legal department undertakes in a sports environment,” says Mazza, who will be a third-year law student this fall.
Mazza has long had her sights on working in sports law with a particular interest in areas related to IP, like copyrights, trademarks and licensing of team logos. And while she’d be thrilled to build a career with any sports organization, the opportunity to work with NASCAR was a dream come true. Not only did she gain legal experience, but this NASCAR fan also enjoyed the chance to be right where the action is—going into the pits and the infield, and attending not only the Coca-Cola 600 but also the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race and the developmental Arca Menards Series for prospective drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Mazza and her fellow group of interns pose in Victory Lane at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“The internship program really immerses you into all aspects of NASCAR and makes it a great experience for the interns, not only in terms of preparing you for what it’s like to work as a general counsel in a sports organization but also to get a first-hand look at the innerworkings of the sport itself,” Mazza says.
While her knowledge of NASCAR may have helped her secure this prestigious internship, the lessons learned at Syracuse Law, particularly classes she took as a second-year law student, provided her with the baseline legal knowledge in areas like intellectual property law and sports law that she believes also gave her a competitive edge.
Mazza adds the NASCAR internship to a list of other experiential learning opportunities she has had while at Syracuse Law, including working on two Congressional campaigns, an internship with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and another internship for the Oneida County (New York) Public Defenders Office.
As she returns to Syracuse Law to complete her degree, Mazza hopes to apply her hard-earned legal experience to a sports organization or a law firm that specializes in sports law after graduation. However, she can’t help but to hope to eventually return to work for NASCAR.
“My internship at NASCAR has shown me that anything is possible, just as in this sport, where you can start from the back of the grid and still win the race,” Mazza says. “The skills I’ve learned and the opportunity to be where the action is on the track are experiences I’ll never forget. And it’s very exciting to imagine what might be ahead for me.”
Mazza stands in front of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
