Influential Woman · Law

Isabelle Silva

Legal Extern, Fenway Sports Group

Boston, MA

1Award received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree UNH Law School Degree J.D. (expected May 2025) Degree Undergraduate degree in Crime and Legal Studies Member Sports Lawyers Association (Student Member) Member UNH Sports Entertainment Law Society (Vice President) Member UNH Sports Law Review (Editor-in-Chief)

Her Story

About Isabelle

I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was probably like 10 or 11 after I started watching shows like Law and Order. When I was in college, I started to research what being a lawyer would actually be like. My major was crime and legal studies, and I was considering being a criminal defense attorney. But then I kind of shifted gears after the blow-up of name, image, and likeness in college athletes in 2021, because I was a college athlete myself. After that, I researched some schools for law school that were kind of close to home but still had a good sports law program and just a good law program and good reputation in general. That's how I ended up at UNH, because they have a good sports law program there and are well known throughout New England. There, I'm the editor-in-chief of the Sports Law Review and I'm also vice president of their Sports Entertainment Law Society. Right now my day is actually pretty unique for a law student - I'm doing a full-time externship with the Boston Red Sox, so I commute to the city every day like a normal professional. I just happen to be getting credits for what I'm doing instead of going to class, which has been fun. I'm excited to graduate in May.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Isabelle

01What do you attribute your success to?

I would just say my persistence, just keep going after what I want to do in life, and not getting caught up in what everybody else thinks or tells me to do. Trying to stay focused on my goals.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would say take everybody's advice with a grain of salt, because it can get very noisy. I think tuning into your own voice is really important. Not saying that you shouldn't take other people's advice, as they have experience and other opportunities that you haven't gotten to yet, but definitely try to stay in tune with who you are.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I would say that challenges is there's a big supply of incoming lawyers, but not as much demand. So, just trying to stand out among the crowd when getting a job. But I think an opportunity could be that same exact sentence, being able to set myself apart and be different and unique in my own ways, and be persistent, like I said.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I would say hard work and kindness, really. Those are the big two. And respect for other people. I think that you can be a really good person and you can learn the skills at your job, but you can also be a really good worker but not a good person, so I'd rather be a good person.

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