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Sports Law

Syracuse Law Establishes ESLS Certificate

syracuse university

The Entertainment and Sports Law Society at Syracuse University College of Law is proud to announce that the Syracuse University College of Law (SUCOL) Faculty has accepted its proposal for a certificate program. The certificate, which has been named, the Entertainment and Sports Law Studies Certificate, will give students the chance to focus in on this emerging legal field. The ESLS hopes that this certificate will be the first step to building SUCOL into a hub for sports and entertainment like similar programs at Marquette and Tulane.

Joshua Meredith, President of Syracuse Law’s ESLS sent me the following message:

“This was an idea that has been developed since Spring 2008, nine months after writing the initial proposal with my colleague Dan Goode; I was ecstatic to say the least when I heard we had been approved. We would like to thank all the faculty for supporting us, including our sponsor Professor Laura Lape and sports law Professor, Rod Surratt.”

“Having this certificate will give Syracuse a step up in building a program that focuses in this topic. Over the next year, I hope we can continue to build on this, creating classes, publishing students papers and creating partnerships with the new David B. Falk Center for Sports Management.”

“I truly think this is a giant achievement for our organization as we were able to come together as a club to really show the faculty how interested we were in this endeavor and that we were willing to push them to pass it. It’s a great day for the ESLS and the membership who are going to have this opportunity to focus in on this portion of the law.”

On February 3, 2009, I posted about Meredith’s effort to create the Entertainment and Sports Law Studies Certificate and asked that you help him achieve his goal.  Thanks to those of you who lent Meredith a hand; our profession needs more programs like the one being implemented at Syracuse Law.

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.