For whom: Individuals involved with amateur sports (as an athlete, coach, trainer, or other capacity) that have what they believe to be a legal issue relating to matters arising from their sports-related role.
The Valpo Law Sports Clinic welcomes clients all amateur arenas of competition: Olympic, college, high school, and others.
Client eligibility: as a legal clinic operated by an ABA-accredited law school, our services are designed to be provided on a no-fee basis. Consequently, the clinic normally restricts its services to those who are unable to afford legal representation.
Typical cases involve issues such as: doping and drug testing, discipline, team eligibility, gender equity, visas to compete, and loss of scholarship. This list is only an example of the types of cases that have come before the clinic already, and is not intended to be an exclusive listing.
Who will be providing the legal services: The Valparaiso University School of Law Sports Law Clinic is directed by Michael Straubel, a full-time member of the School of Law faculty whose expertise is sports law. Professor Straubel is assisted by ten third-year law students all of whom are certified by the Indiana Supreme Court to represent clients under Professor Straubel's supervision.
Clinic education at Valparaiso University School of Law: The Valparaiso University School of Law has been offering clinical education for 40 years. Operating as the School of Law's "law firm," the Law Clinic operates in six different practice areas - mediation, tax law, criminal law, juvenile law, civil law, and sports law. The Sports Law Clinic is the newest addition. The Law Clinic is run by seven full-time faculty members of the School of Law, each of whom is a licensed attorney who specializes in his/her respective practice area.
