"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." -- William Butler Yeats

SLA Member

If you’re reading this blog post sports law matters to you in some way. Perhaps you’re a student thinking about a future career and considering law school. Perhaps you’re in law school taking classes that you’ve been told will help you embark on such a career. Perhaps you’re a young lawyer thinking about shifting from commercial transactions to working for a team. Perhaps you’re a seasoned academic who has taught sports law for decades and it’s early on a quiet Saturday morning with snow falling outside with your wife still asleep and you had an idea—but I digress.

Regardless of where you happen to be in 2021, and it’s likely on your couch at home, dedicate yourself to lifelong learning. The most successful sports lawyers amongst us are those that are actively seeking out knowledge. The good news is that technology affords all of us the opportunity to stay connected and active in the pursuit of learning. Reading, podcasts, webinars, Zoom meetings are all at our disposal.

But don’t stop there, the goal isn’t to just learn about a new topic but to take action from what you learned. Heard a fascinating conversation about something in sports law, and maybe it was from Gabe Feldman’s "Between the Lines: A Podcast About Sports and the Law”? [Sorry, shameless plug for a friend.] Now do something with what you learned. Find more information about the topic and keep digging. Email people in your network about an idea you have or even try to follow-up with the speakers. Write something. Publish those ideas—be it in a law review article or here on the SLA Blog.

Curiosity is a trait that will serve you well. Sharing what you learned builds up your reputation as an expert, and I don’t mean on Twitter. And since you are reading this post, REGISTER for this year’s Sports Lawyers Association Annual Conference. There are no excuses based on the inability to travel. But don’t just listen to the panels, ask questions, follow up with the speakers, and then do something with what you learned. Light that damn fire and get after it. Carpe Diem.