We are the oldest Sports Law certificate program in the country. The Program is led by Professor Gabe Feldman and Sports Law Program Manager, Eric Blevins, and supported by Tulane Law School’s Assistant Dean for Career Development, Vanessa Beary, and the Tulane Center for Sport’s Director of Education, Tess Belt.

Professor Feldman is is one of the leading voices in the country in the growing field of sports law. He is the Sher Garner Professor of Sports Law and the Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law, Tulane University’s associate provost for NCAA compliance, and also is the co-founder and co-director of the Tulane Center for Sport.  He is regularly quoted in major national media outlets; has been published in a variety of journals and periodicals; edits leading sports law casebooks and newsletters; and hosts the “Sportswise” podcast.

The Tulane Sports Law Society (SLS), the Program’s student organization, is one of the most active student groups on Tulane’s campus.  SLS’s many student-led events, including the four sports law negotiation competitions and Women in Sports Law Symposium, provide our students a plethora of opportunities to network, learn, and lead in every sports discipline.

The Sports Law Program includes staff and support from the Tulane Center for Sport, which is devoted to studying, supporting and achieving in all areas where sport engages people.  The Center has developed an interdisciplinary network of resources, knowledge and experience — all under one “roof” — that puts us in a unique position to view sport from a 360-degree perspective, including in sports law, medicine, and business.

Learn more about the Tulane Sports Law Program:

• Faculty & Staff Profiles
• Media Appearances
• Tulane Sports Law Society
• Why Tulane?  Why New Orleans?

We are proud to have Tulane Law alumni excelling in every corner of the sports industry.  From front office executives, team general counsels, lawyers at top national sports law firms, college athletic directors, high-powered sports agents, and much more, our alumni have shaped and continue to lead the sports industry.  Combined with an equally deep network of friends of the Program, our students have the opportunity to learn from and network with leaders across the sports world.  Indeed, over 160 sports professionals engaged with our students in 2022 alone.

Learn more about our network:

• In the News
• Tulane Sports Law Diversity Spotlight
• Where do our Alumni & Friends work in sports?

The primary goal of the Tulane Sports Law Program is to help students get jobs in the sports industry.  Professor Gabe Feldman has helped former students get jobs across NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and other pro team and league offices; prestigious sports law firms; college athletic departments; top sports agencies; and virtually every other business connected to the sports world.  See where some of our alumni work here.

In addition to Professor Feldman’s efforts, the Program today offers a multitude of resources for students to discover and build a sports career, including Assistant Dean Vanessa Beary and Program Manager Eric Blevins.  The Program prides itself on placing students in internships and externships.  Our students have held summer positions- frequently hired by our alumni- at a vast number of sports teams and companies including the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, New York Jets, San Antonio Spurs, the NCAA, the Sun Belt Conference, ESPN, and much more.

Learn more about our career development initiatives:

• Tulane Sports Law Current/Admitted Students Info
• Tulane Law School Career Development Office (CDO)

The Tulane Sports Law Program has garnered wide attention.  Don’t just take our word for it– see what the sports industry is saying about us.  From major media coverage, to alumni testimonials, see the highlights here:

• What They’re Saying About the Tulane Sports Law Program

The Tulane Sports Law Advisory Board is a group of committed Tulane Law alumni currently working across all disciplines of the sports industry.  The Board helps keep the Program on the cutting edge of sports and is a frequent source of mentorship, networking, and other help for Tulane Law students.

See our board member profiles here:

• Tulane Sports Law Advisory Board

One of the top entertainment and sports law conferences in the world, this marquee annual event draws sports and entertainment executives, lawyers, agents, and students from across the country to network and discuss the latest issues in entertainment and sports.  Past speakers include:

• 2023 keynote Jonathan Banks, star (as “Mike”) of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul
• Top lawyers and investors from the NFL, NBA, MLB, Premier League, the LA ’28 Olympic Games, DraftKings, and more;
• High-profile attorneys from law firms with major national sports practices, including Winston & Strawn and Holland & Knight;
• Academy Award and Grammy Award winners;
• Lawyers who have represented or worked with some of the world’s biggest stars, including Alicia Keys, Jason Sudeikis, Jordan Peele, Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Bob Dylan;
• Top executives from major platforms and studios, including ESPN, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sony Pictures, and SiriusXM

See panel descriptions, speaker bios, and much more here:

• Tulane Entertainment & Sports Law Conference

Each year, the Tulane Sports Law Society hosts sports arbitration and negotiation competitions for  professional baseball, basketball, football, and soccer.  Teams of students represent professional athletes and teams in simulated salary negotiations.  The competitions are judged by dozens of top sports executives, lawyers and agents.  

These student-run events are the premier sports negotiation competitions in the country and provide law students from across the country an opportunity to sharpen and showcase their negotiation skills and to network with the best and brightest in the sports industry.

What do these events look like?  See more about the Sports Law Society Competitions here:

• Tulane Sports Law Society Competitions

The Tulane Women in Sports Law Symposium is is a networking and professional development event in New Orleans that recognizes women lawyers for their work and achievements within the sports industry, while also connecting generations of change makers interested or involved in the industry.

The Symposium is organized and hosted by women leaders in the Tulane Sports Law Society, and brings together students, practicing lawyers, and other sports professionals.  Past speakers include Nina King (L ’05), Duke University Athletic Director; Vicky Neumeyer (L ’98), General Counsel for the New Orleans Saints & Pelicans; and Colie Edison (NC ’06), Chief Growth Officer for the WNBA.

View more past speakers, panel descriptions, register for the next event, and more here:

• Tulane Women in Sports Law Symposium

The only moot court competition in the country devoted to sports legal issues, the annual Mardi Gras Moot Court Competition has been hosted by Tulane Moot Court students for over 25 years.  The Mardi Gras Moot Court Competition gives law students across the country an opportunity to test their advocacy skills over a legal problem inspired by the hottest topics in sports law, all during one of the world’s greatest celebrations: Mardi Gras.

Competition rounds are judged by practicing lawyers, top academics, and sitting judges, including high profile experts like Jay Bilas (ESPN), Don Fehr (former Executive Director of the NHLPA), Richard Berthelson (former General Counsel of the NFLPA), and more.  Learn more here:

• Tulane Moot Court Mardi Gras Invitational

We take seriously our role in the community.  Tulane Law School was the first law school in the country to require pro bono service hours as a condition of graduation and, through both Tulane Law School and the Tulane Center for Sport, the Tulane Sports Law Program prioritizes initiatives that make our community a better place.

We are constantly seeking out opportunities to use sport to ignite curiosity in young people for sports careers, particularly in underserved communities.  Some of our partnerships include:

• Major League Baseball’s Youth Academy Program, whose “mission is to provide inner-city youth with free, year-round, top quality baseball and softball instruction, education assistance and career path development.”  The Tulane Sports Law Program provides free annual sports law & business courses for Youth Academy students.
• The Starting Block, a Fielkow-Chase Youth Education Initiative designed to build impactful relationships between multicultural and multifaith communities in Greater New Orleans through the lens of practical learning and career building for high school students interested in pursuing professions within the sports industry.  The Tulane Center for Sport serves as the lead educational partner, designing each 18-month curriculum.
• Tulane Special Olympics, which brings exciting opportunities to Special Olympics athletes in the greater New Orleans area.  Tulane Special Olympics was recently ranked top 5 nationally.

Learn more about these intiatives:

• Tulane Sports Law Program Community Engagement

The Tulane Sports Law Mentorship Program is a powerful tool for our students to connect with professionals in the sports industry.  The Mentorship Program has matched hundreds of Tulane Law students and mentors over the years; in 2023 alone, we matched over 60 Tulane Law students with 90 Mentors.

The Mentorship Program matches students based on their specific industry preferences and career goals, connecting them with Mentors across the sports industry.  Our Mentor group is a diverse and high-profile cross-section of the industry, including General Counsels and front office executives of major league teams, league and players’ association attorneys, BigLaw practitioners, and more.  See a list of past Tulane Sports Law Mentors here:

• Tulane Sports Law Mentorship Program- Mentors

Each year, the Sports Law Society organizes a series of panels on cutting edge sports issues, bringing in high-profile sports lawyers and executives to speak with Tulane Sports Law students.  See more Tulane Sports Law speakers here.

Learn more about upcoming Speaker Series events at the Sports Law Society’s home page:

• Tulane Sports Law Society

The Tulane Sports Law Society’s Interest Groups are informal peer groups of students with similar sports interests and career goals– a  “book club for sports” devoted to a specific segment of the industry , including college athletics, team front offices, and agents.

Where the Mentorship Program,  Competitions, Conferences and Speaker Series provide opportunities for students to network with sports professionals, the Interest Groups create an opportunity for students to network with each other– their future sports industry peers.

Interest Groups are encouraged to engage in projects and create tangible work product that can demonstrate their expertise to potential employers.  Sports Law Program faculty & staff help guide the Interest Groups with advice and alumni connections to further their goals.

Communication skills are paramount in the legal profession and the sports industry.  The Tulane Sports Law Program offers many opportunities for our students to hone their writing skills and have their work read widely by working sports professionals.

Tulane Sports Law students write for two different publications:

• The Sports Lawyer monthly newsletter
• The Sports Lawyers Journal, the premier annual sports law academic publication

All are published in partnership with the Sports Lawyers Association— a leading sports professional organization founded in 1975– and distributed to the SLA’s vast membership.

• Sports Lawyers Association publications

Professor Feldman’s “Sportswise” podcast is the most-downloaded sports law podcast in the country and features interviews with some of the nation’s top sports lawyers, discussing the most pressing issues in sports– frequently their own cases.

The podcast alternates between industry interviews and the Sports Law Rundown, which gives updates on the latest important sports law news in 30 minutes or less.

Check out all the episodes wherever you listen to your podcasts, or at the link below:

• Sportswise: A Podcast About Sports & the Law

Countless speakers have shared their insights with Tulane Sports Law students over the years at our panels, conferences, and more.  The Tulane Sports Law Program maintains a bank of educational videos for the benefit of Tulane Sports Law students: The Tulane Sports Law Knowledge Bank.

Here you can find tutorials, career advice, and much more.  Visit the Tulane Sports Law Knowledge Bank below (password required):

• Tulane Sports Law Knowledge Bank