If the Shoe Fits: Entertainment Law Fellow Scores Converse Internship
Looking back on Kevin Togami’s first year at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, it’s hard to imagine things getting any better. He started as a member of LLS' elite Entertainment Law Fellowship under the mentorship of NBA super-agent Jason Glushon, and he ended it by beating out 400-plus applicants for a summer internship at Nike-Converse. But he's followed up that amazing rookie year with a string of other all-star achievements: summer associate at Big Law firm O'Melveny & Meyers LLP, Google Legal Scholar and regional director of the National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association.
Togami ’21 is no stranger to fierce competition. Since childhood, the Hawaii native has proved his mettle on the football field, basketball court and, later, inside the boxing ring. While studying sports administration, business marketing and public relations at the University of Miami, Togami joined the school’s boxing team and competed for the title in his weight class at the 2017 Intercollegiate Boxing Association National Tournament, coming up short in the championship bout by split decision.
When it came time to select a career path, however, Togami’s choice was clear: He wanted to pursue a career in the business side of sports, specifically sports law. When deciding which law school to attend, Togami had many options but one obvious choice. “For me, Loyola’s Entertainment Law Fellowship program was the deciding factor,” he says.
As one of just nine students in his class selected for the prestigious fellowship, Togami credits Grace Parrish ’06, Program Director of Field Placements, with helping him capitalize on the fellowship’s unique opportunities.
First, the fellowship paired Togami with alumnus Glushon, whose clients include Al Horford of the Boston Celtics and Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans. Additionally, the fellowship gave Togami the chance to “get advice from top-notch professionals in the entertainment and legal industries.” For instance, Togami recently attended a negotiation workshop with Lee Straus, executive vice president of business affairs at NBC-Universal. He has also received guidance from Professor of Practice Marty Willhite ’97, vice chairman of Tulco, LLC and former general counsel of Legendary Pictures, who plays a vital role in the fellowship program.
After he applied for the Nike-Converse internship, Togami says that Parrish “used her network to get my resume to the top of the pile.” Yet once he cleared that initial screening process, Togami had to prove himself in multiple rounds of phone and video-conference interviews with the Converse general counsel, associate general counsel and other key members of the corporate legal team.
Two weeks later, Togami was so sure that he had not been selected for the internship that he had already begun applying for other positions. “Then,” he recalls, “I got a phone call from Rodney Pratt, vice president and general counsel of Converse, who extended me the offer. I was speechless,” Togami admits, his voice even now crackling with excitement.
This summer, Togami will spend two months at Converse corporate headquarters in Boston and one month at Nike headquarters in Oregon.
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