Law students go inside baseball
Tulane University law students Jay Farmer, far left, and Steven Owens, left, compete in the Tulane University Law School"s eighth annual National Baseball Arbitration Competition. Overseeing the group is Scott Freedman, center, manager of baseball analytics for the Philadelphia Phillies. (Photo by Ryan Rivet)
Barely a week after the Washington Nationals signed pitcher Max Scherzer to a $210 million contract, Damon Jones, the team"s general counsel, was explaining the blockbuster deal during a reception at Le Méridien hotel in New Orleans.
He was talking shop with law students eager for insights into the sports industry where they hope to pursue careers. It was a perk of competing in Tulane Law School"s eighth annual National Baseball Arbitration Competition invaluable networking opportunities with lawyers for Major League Baseball teams, sports agents and, this year, Dave Prouty, general counsel for the MLB Players Association.
“Something like this is tremendous. Students can come and meet some of us and get some feedback, compete against their peers and learn about the business.”—Damon Jones, senior vice president and general counsel, Washington Nationals
Run by members of the Tulane Sports Law Society, the competition pairs teams from 40 law schools for simulated salary arbitration sessions before guest arbitrators. The University of Ottawa, the only Canadian team, won first this year, arguing the case of Kansas City outfielder Lorenzo Cain. Rutgers University-Camden took second place, arguing for the Royals.
Jay Farmer and Steven Owens, both set to graduate this year, represented Tulane.
Tulane alumnus Armando Velasco, a player development assistant with the Houston Astros, chaired the event twice as a student and returned this year as a judge.
“It"s a special experience to come back and see the competition flourish,” he said.
Tulane alumni Marc Kligman, who founded Total Care Sports Management, and Alex Winsberg, director of legal affairs for the Los Angeles Angels, also served as guest arbitrators.
Major League Baseball sponsored the opening reception and the MLB Players Association sponsored breakfasts. The Sports Law Society also arranged an opportunity for Tulane students to mingle with the judges.
Tulane, the first U.S. law school to offer a certificate of specialization in sports law, prepares students to deal with challenging legal and business issues confronting an increasingly complex industry.
Linda P. Campbell is Tulane Law School"s director of communications.
