The University of Minnesota Law School will launch a sports and NIL clinic next fall. The aim of the clinic is to assist students that have need of legal assistance with their name, image and likeness (NIL) rights, such as athletes and social media influencers.
The NCAA has long prohibited student athletes from making money from things such as licensing deals, but in June 2021 it passed an interim regulation that now allows them to benefit from their image and publicity. Unfortunately, most of the students who would like to benefit from the new rule can’t afford lawyers to help them navigate this tricky landscape. That’s where the clinic comes in.
According to the clinic proposal, “NIL is a rapidly evolving area of law, and students, especially those participating in athletics, may be able to profit on their NIL rights. The Clinic will represent students for whom paid representation is not feasible in their circumstances.”
The school worked with local law firm Fredrikson & Byron to create the clinic, and will offer its services to any student in the Upper Midwest region. Chris Pham, a shareholder at the firm, will run the clinic as an adjunct professor. Pham’s career has been spent representing NBA players, recording artists, sports merchandising companies, and more.
“Because [the NCAA Rule is] so fluid and so new, it’s an opportunity for us to get in front of these students and help teach them what the rules are and what the opportunities look like,” he says.
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Emory University School of Law has received a gift from law firm Kazmarek Mowrey Cloud Laseter LLP to create an initiative that will foster more diversity in the practice of environmental law. The school’s Environmental and Natural Resources Law program will use the gift to focus on broadening the field of potential candidates for environmental law.
“KMCL’s gift will help Emory Law’s Environmental and Natural Resources Law program to enhance the diversity of environmental lawyers pursuing careers in nonprofit organizations, law firms, corporations, and government agencies,” said Emory Law Dean Mary Anne Bobinski.
The firm (known by its shortened form of KMCL) specializes in environmental law and its lawyers are some of the most prominent in the field. This aligns well with the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Program’s reputation as a top-ranked, comprehensive program.
“KMCL is committed to increasing diversity in the environmental law bar, and we recognize that a key to long-term, concrete results is attracting the best and brightest diverse candidates to the field while they are in law school,” says Rick Horder, a founding partner of the firm.
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Lewis & Clark Law School’s Center for Animal Law Studies (CALS) has launched a new Master of Studies (MSL) in Animal Law.
CALS has been one of the foremost places of learning in the country with regard to animal law for years. They launched an LL.M. program in 2012 and expanded it into a part-time online program in 2021. The addition of this program, intended for non-lawyers, further bolsters their position.
The Animal Law MSL is intended for both U.S. and international students with a Bachelor’s degree and will be offered both in person, at the Portland, ore., campus, as well as an asynchronous online format. The school will begin accepting applications soon, with the program beginning this fall. The course will be 27 credits and focuses on advocacy, academia, research, public policy, and more.
“We are looking forward to our MSL alumni driving change for animals across the globe as our talented LLM alumni have been doing successfully for years,” says Pamela Hart, Assistant Dean and Executive Director of CALS.
