Conventional wisdom dictates that every person follows a unique career path. The life trajectory of Frank Coonelly ’86 certainly falls in line with that maxim. The president of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2007 until 2019, Coonelly visited his alma mater, The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (Catholic Law), the evening of March 16, 2023, describing this unconventional career path to a crowd full of students, faculty, and staff.
Interviewed by representatives of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, Coonelly discussed how he came to Catholic Law at a time when he wanted to pursue politics, only to discover that entering the political world ultimately disinterested him. What instead captured his interest while pursuing his legal degree was labor law. “My love of labor law started with Professor Hartley,” he commented as he gestured toward front-row-seated Roger C. Hartley, a professor who has graced the halls of Catholic Law since 1981. Coonelly explained that, even before abandoning his political ambitions, he was unsure about how he would use his legal degree. Exposure to Hartley’s class not only redirected his career targets but also gained him a mentor, as it was Hartley who pushed Coonelly toward his first job at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (now simply Morgan Lewis). Coonelly even recounted how the professor advised him: “If you don’t get it, I’ll tell you where else to go.”
Coonelly ultimately did find himself at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and in the process translated the love of sports that he had maintained since childhood into a vocation of developing player contracts, negotiating salaries, presiding over a Major League Baseball team, and finally consulting after his departure as president. Reflecting on this, moderators Miranda Turner (2L) and Luis Hernandez (1L) asked him to share what wisdom he had extracted from this experience. Turning toward the audience with the swagger of a sportsman, he responded simply: “Always keep your eye open for opportunities you might not think are right for you.” Following the event's Q&A, Coonelly mingled with the students in attendance, speaking with many of them individually.
The Sports and Entertainment Law Society sponsors discussion of both sports- and entertainment-related legal issues, ranging from amateur sports to professional film projects. It hosts a wide range of guests, from Catholic Law faculty and alumni to area experts in both the sports-entertainment and legal communities.
(Members of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society with Frank Coonelly)