Entertainment Law Fellow Spends Summer at Powerhouse Apparel Brands
LMU Loyola Law School student Kevin Togami ‘21 split his summer between world-famous apparel brand Nike (Oregon) and its affiliate brand, Converse (Massachusetts). Togami served on the legal teams for both powerhouse brands.
Q: How did you land your summer job?
A: While I was researching summer internships online, I came across the Nike-Converse opportunity and quickly made note of it. I gathered all my application materials and sent them in. Fortunately, I had connections, most notably Professor Grace Parrish, Loyola Law School’s Director of Private Field Placements. With her help, I landed an initial interview. The interview process was pretty rigorous and required a lot of research and preparation. After four rounds with different members of Nike and Converse’s legal teams, ranging from the general counsel to the assistants and paralegals, and two weeks of waiting, the vice president of Converse called me and extended me the offer.
Q: What is the most interesting part of your job?
A: I love sports so it’s amazing to work for Nike who owns a huge share of that market. I really appreciate the opportunity to split my summer between Converse’s headquarters in Boston, MA and Nike’s world headquarters in Portland, OR and since my desk at Converse is next to the company’s product testing department, I had the opportunity to try on unreleased shoes and give my feedback on them. Seeing the whole process unfold, from blueprints of a new shoe to being sold on the shelves has been an awesome experience.
Outside of the company perks, I’ve has a blast learning about the legal perspective as well. Working on contracts and reviewing the strategies behind the wording of everything. Sitting in on meetings and hearing my supervisors negotiate. I love it all. Especially in a huge company like Converse, constant communication and transparency between multiple departments and along the chain of command is a necessity for the company’s success.
Q: What was your most challenging assignment thus far?
A: Going through 60-70 page contracts with a fine-tooth comb requires a lot of focus and coffee! Comprehending the complicated language takes reading over clauses multiple times.
Q: What new legal skill did you acquire during your summer job?
A: I’ve gained a better understanding of the strategies surrounding a contract’s wording, order and organization. Also, I’ve learned how to prepare for negotiations, including tactics like creating leverage when your back is against the wall.
Q: What bit of legal knowledge were you able to display?
A: It’s always fun seeing what I learned in my first year of law school apply to the real world. I’ve been able to use what I learned in Professor Bryan Hull’s Contracts course to analyze and understand how and why a contract is structured the way it is. And since we are an apparel company, intellectual property law has been applicable in my everyday assignments. Innovation law helped establish a foundation for my understanding of trademarks, copyright and patents.
Q: How has the law school helped you map your career path?
A: The law school’s network is priceless. My section-mates made 1L year truly special, and I’m thankful for how encouraging everyone was no matter how tough it got (shout-out to Section 3!). I was also impressed by how caring and supportive the upperclassmen have been in helping me get through my first year. The alumni I’ve reached out to have also been willing to help in any way they can. Whether it be a quick phone call or a coffee meeting, people from Loyola Law School really care about the success of its students. I know these connections will be crucial in mapping out my career path.
Additionally, the Career Development Office offers many awesome resources that I’ve used throughout the whole application process. My career counselor, Jill Myers, has helped me extensively in organizing my resume to reflect the best version of myself. The site also contains many great reads on how to do well in job interviews and types of questions to prepare for.