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Sports Law

The National Sports & Entertainment Law Society

From the small northeastern state of Vermont, a couple of law students are determined to start an organization that will unite sports & entertainment law societies in law schools around the country.  Andrew Delaney and Will Rothstein have recently created the National Sports & Entertainment Law Society.  Their stated goal is to create a national network of sports and entertainment law societies.  If you are a current law school student and are interested in sports and/or entertainment law, I suggest you check out the site and reach out to one of the two founders.  My communication thus far has been with Mr. Delaney.  I guarantee he will get back to you about any questions you may have.

Some law schools have extensive sports and entertainment programs.  Marquette, Tulane, and UCLA are institutions that offer a variety of classes in both areas.  Would you be surprised if I told you that University of Florida offers no sports nor entertainment law classes?  Occasionally, UF offers a Sports Law Seminar, capped at fifteen students (real nice when your school has about 1,200 students all interested in the subject).  Oftentimes, the only way for a law student to get involved in entertainment and/or sports law is through a sports & entertainment law society.  If your law school does not have one, the National Sports & Entertainment Law Society would like to help you get one started.  If one already exists, but there is a need to expand its programs and infrastructure, NSELS will lend a hand as well.

I plan to get involved in NSELS, especially after my term as President of the UF Entertainment & Sports Law Society has expired.  Delaney and Rothstein have the guidance of one of the best sports law scholars in the country, Michael McCann, who will be a panelist at the UF Sports Law Symposium on January 23.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

2 replies on “The National Sports & Entertainment Law Society”

Thanks for supplying the link-sounds like a great idea. The University of Toledo College of Law will be represented.

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