It was game on at Weinmann Hall during the annual Entertainment and Sports Law Conference, hosted by Tulane Law School and the Tulane Center for Sport. The event brought together leading voices from across the sports and entertainment industries for a weekend of panels, networking and career-building opportunities for students. Now in its ninth year, the conference drew record-breaking attendance, welcoming more than 300 participants and featured its largest program to date, with 62 speakers across two full days.
The speaker lineup featured some of the most prominent lawyers and executives across the sports and entertainment industries, including leaders from major leagues and teams like the NFL, L.A. Clippers, New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks, and FIFA World Cup; major Hollywood studios such as Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Hulu, and Amazon Studios; top college athletics programs including the Big East Conference and Duke Athletics; leading sports and entertainment law firms; and the NFL’s top sports agency, Athletes First.
This year’s keynote speaker, Desmond Howard, shared insights from his career spanning professional football and broadcasting. His appearance, arranged by Renee Gomila (L’00), offered a unique perspective on the evolving relationship between sports, media and storytelling.
In true New Orleans fashion, the weekend also featured a cooking demonstration by Chef Dook Chase IV of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant and Chapter IV, adding a local cultural touch to the conference.
Beyond the panels, the conference emphasized connection. Networking sessions capped off each day, giving students the opportunity to engage directly with professionals and begin building relationships that can shape their future careers.
“We wanted to create a destination for Hollywood to come to Tulane so students can learn more about the sports and entertainment business,” said Jeff Frost (L’89), president and founder of Bristol Circle Entertainment and co-organizer of the conference. Frost originally co-organized the event with fellow Tulanians Kevin Yorn (L ‘90) and Tim Francis (L’84), and it has continued to flourish under Gabe Feldman’s leadership. “We wanted to make it much easier for Tulane students by giving them access to people from Hollywood so they can create those relationships.”
For students like Alyssa Estepp, president of the Sports Law Society, those connections are invaluable. “It’s not necessarily about what you know about the sports industry, but it’s about who you know,” she said. “And you’re definitely going to know everybody here at Tulane Law School.” Estepp, who came to Tulane for its sports law program, has already secured internships and hands-on experience through opportunities like the conference and the school’s negotiation competitions.
That sense of connection is central for Eric Blevins, Sports Law Program Manager for the Center for Sport. “At the end of the day,” he said, “the reason why our organizers got together and founded this thing is to create something special at Tulane that can help the next generation.”
The conference traces its roots back to the Sports Law Symposium, first launched in 1991, and has since grown into a premier destination for industry leaders and aspiring attorneys alike. Today, it continues to build on that legacy, opening doors for the next wave of Tulane lawyers.
The conference was made possible through the generous support of the Hertz Family Foundation and its ongoing commitment to the Center for Sport, as well as sponsors including Venable LLP, Jones Walker LLP, Shearson Sports Opportunity Fund, Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert LLC, White & Case LLP, Phelps Dunbar LLP, Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann LLC, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source law.tulane.edu ’
