The Legal Athlete jobs and careers

About The Legal Athlete

Before transitioning to professional coaching and speaking, CEO Jess Sargus spent over 22 years working with startups to corporate giants and in law firms, honing her expertise in law, business, and leadership. She was most recently Chief Legal Officer for a fast-growing Southwestern law firm. Jess previously built and led the Global Business Affairs team for Jellysmack, where she was instrumental in securing funding to achieve unicorn ($1B) valuation for this creator economy tech startup. Jess also crafted and led legal policy and negotiations for Jellysmack's strategic partnerships and all revenue-generating business lines. Prior to Jellysmack, Jess worked as a lawyer for Marvel Studios and Disney, negotiating major entertainment deals across film, television, streaming, digital, and theme park media. An Ivy League-trained lawyer, throughout her legal and business career, Jess has counseled and represented companies and individuals in-house and in litigation matters, including appellate advocacy up to the United States Supreme Court. As an entrepreneur, Jess founded and led a training center and sports agency for combat sports athletes. There Jess drew on her experience as an undefeated boxer and MMA fighter to help competitive athletes and hobbyists alike achieve personal and professional growth through career management, contract negotiation, and business and athletic coaching. Jess's drive to grow and excel--whether in law, business, or sports--combined with her fighting experience, sparked the creation of her high-performance philosophy. In 2024, Jess launched The Legal Athlete to pursue her greatest passion: helping legal professionals adopt a growth mindset, unleash their potential, and lead more purposeful, joyful careers and lives.