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2009 NFLPA Contract Advisor Applicants, Start Your Engines

NFLPA

If you are one of the lucky people to have applied this past January for NFLPA Contract Advisor certification, you most probably received an email recently that states whether your application has been approved or denied.  If approved, step one (the easy step) is out of the way.  Now you will have to attend the NFLPA Contract Advisor Seminar for New Applicants and start studying for the exam that will be given at the seminar.  A passing grade on the exam is required in order to be granted certification.

The seminar and examination will take place at The Ritz Carlton Hotel on 22nd and M Street on July 30-21, 2009.  If you have not begun to study for the exam, it is time to start cramming.  This can be an extra difficult task if you are concurrently studying for the Bar Exam as well.  Dynasty‘s Football Director, Matthew Watkins, put himself through that pain last year, but impressively ended up passing both tests.

In fact, for those of you getting ready to go to Washington D.C. for the Seminar and exam, I suggest you read Matthew’s post regarding last year’s events.  It is quite informative.  As was the case last year, the exam will consist of 60 multiple-choice questions.  And in order to pass, you will need to received a scaled score of 70 or higher.

Take this test seriously if you want to become an NFLPA Contract Advisor any time soon.  If you do not pass, you may be prohibited from retaking the examination for 5 years according to new amendments to the NFLPA regulations.

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.