i got my position mostly because of knowing the "right" people, so to speak. i have a background in pro sports, and networking with people i had met along the way afforded me a hookup with my current company.
as far as i am concerned, i am positive that the lack of pay will be well worth the experience/networking opportunities. you just can't get an idea of what this field is like until you're dealing with the in's/out's on a daily basis; that being said, i love it so far.
the company that i work for actually runs a sports representation firm and a 'traditional' general practice law firm. we have two interns here in this office: i lean more toward the sports end and the other intern handles more of the legal work. the other intern is actually completing an externship right now after finishing his 3L. i believe one of the attorneys here is from the same school, so i'm assuming that's how the other intern got in.
as far as tips go, i'd recommend tracking down school alumni that are involved in sports in some manner, along with blanketing firms that do any type of sports work. i know that my recommendation isn't exactly ground-breaking, but it's the truth.. i guess there's just a decent amount of luck involved in getting into this business. and once you're there, work hard. yesterday my boss asked if i would be interested in working part-time (paid) during this coming fall semester as a 2L. i can't pass it up.