|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
An avid sports fan, Audrey Sheetz has always found the intersection of sports and the business world interesting. “Especially how it interplays with the law and regulation,” says Sheetz, senior counsel of litigation at FanDuel.
In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, setting the stage for states to allow legal, regulated, single-game wagers on both collegiate and professional sports. Almost immediately, companies offering online betting flourished. FanDuel was one of them. “I started at FanDuel in 2022, and the company had already grown exponentially,” Sheetz says.
Sheetz continues to thrive in the exciting, fast-paced world of sports betting. One aspect of the role that she loves is the variety of legal issues she encounters, from IP to commercial matters to employment law. “Every day is different, and that’s what makes my job exciting,” Sheetz says.
Another aspect of the job that Sheetz appreciates is her colleagues. “I am lucky to work with such a talented group of people, both in the legal department and beyond,” she says.
Despite her enthusiasm for the legal profession, Sheetz didn’t aspire to practice law as a child. She initially resisted the idea of following in her father’s footsteps, who was a prosecutor and often worked long hours in the public sector.
“Some people see the profession their parents are in, and that’s what’s ingrained in them and that’s what they want to do,” Sheetz says. “I didn’t appreciate how similar my father and I are, in work ethic and temperament, until later in my life.”
In college, she had a change of heart after taking some prelaw classes. Sheetz realized lawyers can be “wonderful advocates and make an impact on others,” which fits with her passion for community service and helping people.
She earned a BA in justice, law, and society and began working as a paralegal. “[The paralegal role] gave me more of a professional understanding,” Sheetz says. “It allowed me to learn differently in law school, knowing how you would ultimately apply those skills in real life,” She entered law school with a more mature mindset and approached it as a career instead of as a continuation of college.
While attending Brooklyn Law School, Sheetz worked at the Southern District of New York for the US Attorney’s Office and in the Eastern District of New York in the US Attorney’s Office as a student prosecutor. “I got a lot of experience in the public sector, specifically as a litigator,” Sheetz says.
A summer intern position at Herrick Feinstein led to an associate’s position at the midsized firm, which provided her with valuable hands-on experience she would not have gained at a larger firm. “The great thing about Herrick was that it allowed and encouraged me to take ownership of matters as a young associate, eventually working on a trial,” Sheetz says. Having direct interaction with her clients at Herrick taught her to advocate for clients and laid the foundation for her eventual move to her in-house position at FanDuel.
“I’ve learned that it’s important to remove your lawyer hat, listen, and then advise in a way that’s digestible to everyone, not just lawyers.”
Audrey Sheetz
Transitioning from firm life to in-house life, Sheetz quickly drew upon two skills she’d honed: building relationships and working with various types of people. “At a firm, you’re surrounded by like-minded lawyers. At FanDuel, I work with people across the business,” Sheetz says. “I’ve learned that it’s important to remove your lawyer hat, listen, and then advise in a way that’s digestible to everyone, not just lawyers.”
While most law students are predisposed to checking off boxes on a prearranged career path, Sheetz has proven with her life’s example that not everybody needs a plan to succeed. Plans can be helpful, but they can also cause tunnel vision. “Opportunities might look a little different from that checklist, but success might also look different to you as your career progresses,” she says.
Success is not only measured at the office either. As the mother of a one-year-old, Sheetz says, her career is so rewarding that it’s made her a better mom. She dedicates uninterrupted time to both versions of herself.
“My hope is that as my daughter gets older, she sees me as someone who loves her job but also loves being her mom,” Sheetz says. “If I achieve that, then I’ve succeeded.”
