Marquette Law School National Sports Law Institute conference to examine issues including athletes' rights, esports

October 5, 2018

MILWAUKEE — The National Sports Law Institute of Marquette University Law School will include a keynote speech on athletes' rights and an examination of issues in the emerging field of esports when it hosts its 29th annual conference on Friday, Oct. 12, beginning at 9 a.m. in the Lubar Center at Eckstein Hall.

The conference, "Emerging Legal Issues in Collegiate, International, and Professional Sports, and Esports," will provide an overview on legal issues affecting various levels of the sports industry, along with panel discussions from lawyers working in the industry.

The conference will feature a keynote on athletes' rights from Jill Pilgrim, the founding and managing attorney at Pilgrim & Associates. Pilgrim is the acting executive director and general counsel of the Track and Field Athletes Association and president of the Center for the Protection of Athlete's Rights, Inc. Pilgrim will also be presented with the NSLI's Joseph E. O'Neill Award, given to an individual in the sports industry who has made a significant contribution to the field and done so while exemplifying the highest ethical standards during the conference lunch.

A full list of scheduled speakers can be found on the conference web page. Registration is required and is available online through Oct. 9.

Members of the media who are interested in speaking to one of the conference attendees should contact Chris Jenkins in the Office of Marketing and Communication at (414) 288-4745 or christopher.t.jenkins@marquette.edu.

Through public programming such as the Marquette Law School Poll, debates featuring candidates in significant political races, Mike Gousha's "On the Issues" conversations with newsmakers, public lectures by leading scholars and conferences on significant issues of public importance, the Law School serves as the region's leading venue for serious civil discourse about law and public policy matters.

The Law School's National Sports Law Institute strives to be the leading national educational and research institute for the study of legal, ethical and business issues affecting amateur and professional sports from both an academic and practical perspective. It provides educational opportunities for law students as well as current and future leaders in the sports industry. The NSLI provides a national forum for discussion and thoughtful consideration of American and international sports issues and encourages input by persons and organizations with a wide range of viewpoints. The NSLI seeks to promote a legal environment in which sports at all levels of competition will flourish. In an effort to achieve these goals, the NSLI sponsors high-quality national conferences and symposia and promotes knowledge through publication of thoughtful scholarship in the Marquette Sports Law Review. It also serves as a resource for the media and public.