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Santa Clara Law School’s Third Annual Sports Law Symposium

What: Santa Clara University Institute of Sports Law and Ethics’ Third Annual Sports Law Symposium – What is the Proper Role of Sports in Higher Education?

When: September 6, 2012 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Where: Santa Clara University

Discussion

Issues about college sports are frequently reported on both the sports pages and front pages: payment of athletes, recruiting violations, disciplinary mechanisms, gender equity, eligibility determinations, conference alignments, scholarship amounts, television revenues and the very definition of amateurism. The term “student-athlete” itself has evolved over the years and perhaps raises more questions than it answers. The purpose of this Symposium is to address as many of these issues as possible both individually and within the broader context of what is the proper role of sports in higher education, which may differ depending on the type of institution, the type of sport and whether that sport generates more revenues than costs.

Panelists

  • Santa Clara University Director of Athletics, Dan Coonan
  • University of the Pacific Vice President of External Relations and Athletics, Ted Leland
  • Director of Vaccaro Sports Partnerships, Sonny Vaccaro
  • Sports Economist Andy Schwarz of OSKR
  • National College Players Association President, Ramogi Huma
  • Miami Herald Sports Reporter, Linda Robertson
  • Boise State University General Counsel, Kevin Satterlee
  • Former Deputy LPGA Commissioner, Libba Galloway
  • Public Relations Executive, Terry Fahn
  • Consultant, Jonathan Orszag
  • Sports Journalist, Bomani Jones
  • Professors Harry Edwards, William Gould, Kevin Greene, Richard Karcher, Lateef Mtima, Jo Potuto, Dan Rascher and Ellen Staurowsky
  • and practitioners actively involved with ongoing and recent litigation.

Cost: Free for students.  $125 for “Early Bird Registration” (before July 21, 2012).  Click here to register.  Program qualifies for 5.5 hours of California CLE credits, 1.5 hours of which will qualify for ethics credit.

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.