Abbey
Carroll

Abbey Carroll is a Case Manager in the National Team at Sport Resolutions. She studied LLB Law and LLM Sports Law at NTU.

What was your experience studying at NTU?

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at NTU and learnt so much. I am incredibly grateful to the staff on the sports law module and course for their encouragement, specifically Dr Seema Patel and Dr Simon Boyes as I would not be where I am without their input.

What extra-curricular activities did you take part in?

During my time at NTU I was heavily involved in a number of societies at NTSU – they provided me the opportunity to meet so many people, without this, I wouldn’t have met some of my closest friends!

I served as Vice President of NTU LEX Law Society for two years which afforded me so many opportunities such as competing in the UK Sports Law Competition. In this role, alongside support from the committee, I led the first Networking Dinner in 2022 – which continues now, won multiple awards from NTSU such as Society of the Year and the Opportunity Award for a Women in Law Panel I hosted. I had also worked on postgraduate engagement which received recognition nationally at the National Societies & Volunteering Awards. This is just a small insight into what I was able to experience and this built my confidence so much.

I did also enjoy the social side of societies of course, but the above is to highlight that societies can also bring so much academic and career benefit to help you stand out as well as provide you with a social outlet after lectures.

What is your current role and what does it involve?

I currently work as a Case Manager in the National Team at Sport Resolutions, with a primary focus on football disputes. Sport Resolutions is an independent, not-for-profit dispute resolution service for sport, operating globally and offering arbitration, mediation, tribunal and investigation services.

A Case Manager in the National Team typically supports parties by acting as secretariat throughout the arbitration process, both in the lead-up to hearings and during the hearings themselves. This involves working with athletes, clubs and/or National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in the UK. My responsibilities include appointing independent panel members to chair hearings, such as for selection appeals in high-performance sport, as well as supporting the allocation of pro bono services to athletes. Alongside this, I work with The FA and the National Serious Case Panel on disputes in non-league football and at grassroots level.

A recent example of the type of work undertaken by the National Team is the arbitration between The FA and Lucas Paquetá. Sport Resolutions provided independent administrative support to the Independent Regulatory Commission. The National Team also operates the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP), which works entirely independently of UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the body responsible for investigating, charging and prosecuting cases before the NADP.

Sport Resolutions also works with a number of international federations and sporting bodies, assisting them with doping matters, vetting processes, investigations and reviews. This work is led by Sport Resolutions’ International Team.

What attracted you to this field of work?

Upon studying the sports law module at LLB, I was engrossed immediately and it became a real passion as the module allowed integration of my love for sport into a degree I was studying. Through my extracurriculars at NTU and NTSU, I was awarded a scholarship for academic excellence that led me to build upon my knowledge to pursue a masters in the subject.

Working for Sport Resolutions provides a specific insight into the sports arbitration process. The notion that sport should be accessible and fair is integral, so to work for an organisation ensuring integrity in sport is a real privilege.

What advice would you give to students on securing a job after graduation?

I think the main take away is do not do anything just because that is what is expected of you and your course. Yes, network, make connections, research, but do not force yourself down a route that doesn’t feel right to you. You can step away, take another job, explore another industry, no one route is linear.

Make use of NTU employability services which you can access after your graduation and be resilient – a lot of employers like you to have explored another option and built experience before applying, so do not think just because you haven’t landed a role prior to graduation that it’s a failure.

However, at the end of the day, everyone will graduate with a degree. You need to put yourself out there with societies and extra-curricular to show how you can stand out from other people. You have access to some niche incredible opportunities you can only get at university – please don’t put them off, they are a lot harder to come by once you have left.

View Abbey's LinkedIn profile.