@SportsLawGuy now also Barron Professor of Law
Gabe Feldman, center, takes some ceremonial ribbing at his investiture from Tulane University colleagues Paul Barron, second from left, Martin Davies, left, and Rabbi David Goldstein, right. The Barron Professorship recognizes Barron"s 34 years of service at Tulane Law School. (Photos by Paula Burch-Celentano)
Early on Wednesday (Sept. 30), Tulane Law School professor Gabe Feldman, aka @SportsLawGuy, was analyzing for his more than 38,400 Twitter followers the NCAA"s win that morning: A federal appeals court decision that college athletes needn"t be paid more than their scholarships for playing.
Later, Feldman was talking to reporters from The New York Times and Bloomberg. And that night, he was honored with investiture as the inaugural Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law.
It"s the kind of performance that makes the director of the Tulane Sports Law Program one of the field"s most influential leaders.
In addition to having expertise on such contemporary hot topics as sports betting and football concussions, Feldman teaches antitrust, intellectual property, and mediation and negotiation. He"s a major attraction for students who choose the law school"s pioneering Sports Law Program, and his extensive connections help plug them into a highly competitive industry.
The Barron Professorship recognizes popular professor emeritus Paul Barron"s 34 years of service at Tulane Law School. The endowment fund includes donations from Barron and his sister, Martha Ann Wishnev, honoring their father, Abram B. Barron.
“What really gets me going in the morning is the opportunity to work with my students and have an impact on them, and I know that Paul also shared that motivation,” Feldman said at his investiture. “I"m blessed and honored to continue what I"m doing as the Barron Professor of Law.”
A former litigator at Washington, D.C., powerhouse Williams & Connolly, Feldman joined the Tulane law faculty in 2005. He also serves as the associate provost for NCAA compliance and as the new director of Special Olympicsâ“New Orleans. In 2013, he received a Tulane President"s Award for Graduate and Professional Teaching.
Feldman traced his Twitter popularity to the 2011 NFL lockout.
“I began translating my scholarship from law review articles to the masses through social media, distilling very complex questions at the intersection of antitrust and labor law,” he said. “I like to think I raised the level of discourse to the average sports fan rather than bringing it down to the average fan.”
Linda P. Campbell is Tulane Law School"s director of communications.
Because his parents were unable to be at his investiture ceremony, law professor Gabe Feldman shared the proceedings with them via iPhone FaceTime, with the help of his wife, Abby Gaunt, center, the law school"s new assistant dean of students. At right is Gaunt"s mother, Carole Gaunt.
