Given the rapidly growing and evolving legal landscape of athletic pursuits, the School of Law has launched a Sports Law Program.

At the heart of the initiative is a Master in the Study of Law with a Sports Emphasis. This one-year graduate program is specifically designed to provide aspiring sports agents with the legal foundation they need to be successful in addition to a technical understanding of Name, Image and Likeness, and National Football League and National Basketball Association agency, according to Myles B. Solomon, who serves as the program’s director.

Sports Law Program Director Myles Solomon discusses how the legislation surrounding Name, Image and Likeness in college athletics is constantly shifting and how law students can prepare themselves for careers in that field at a School of Law panel during the spring semester.

“The new M.S.L. degree is a relatively unique degree within the industry,” Solomon said. “This hybrid – in-person/online – offering allows master’s students to take classes with J.D. students in the courses most beneficial to agents, while taking online classes specifically related to the practice of being a sports agent.”

As part of the overall Sports Law Program, the course “Name, Image and Likeness Agency” and others will be added to the J.D. curriculum.

“These classes build on the foundation of the longstanding Sports Law class taught by Adjunct Professor John Cooper,” Solomon said.

Prior to the creation of the program, the school had a robust externship placement program for college athletics with UGA, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Southern University. This expanded this past year to include multiple externships within the Atlanta Braves organization.

Further rounding out the Sports Law Program is participation in sports-focused negotiation competitions with other law schools. This year, the School of Law fielded teams at the Villanova Professional Football Negotiation Competition and the Tulane International Fútbol Negotiation Competition. Notably, UGA Law finished in the final four (semifinals) out of 28 teams in the Tulane tournament.

The School of Law continues to offer the J.D./M.S. in Sport Management and Policy. This dual degree, which can be completed in just four years, provides the theoretical and practical background to pursue career opportunities as a lawyer concentrating on sports issues.