The City of Philadelphia and Temple University Beasley School of Law Present: Public-Private Partnership on High School Athletics Education
Press Conference
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Doors Open 1:00 PM, Event Starts 2:00 PM
Shusterman Hall – Temple University
About The Event
Competitive youth sports, long seen as a playing field on which athletes could test their talent and mettle, today also represent a pathway for youth to access an education through the National Letter of Intent (NLI) process and economic opportunity through use of their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and Temple University Beasley School of Law have formed a historic public-private partnership intended to protect and empower student-athletes and their families as they navigate the NLI and NIL landscapes. Together, Councilmember Thomas and Temple Law School are creating and implementing resources that will enhance legal safeguards and financial literacy for student-athletes, guiding and guarding their pathways to success.
Join us on Temple University’s Main Campus in Shusterman Hall on January 24th for the launch of this historic public-private partnership between Councilmember Isaiah Thomas and Temple University Beasley School of Law. This event starts at 2:00 PM, doors will open at 1:00 PM. At this event, you will hear about how this legislation/partnership was created, hear personal NIL/NLI experiences from student-athletes, learn about the resources being implemented, and engage in a Q&A session with the panel.
Introduction of this bill in Philadelphia City Council will take place on January 25th—a first in the nation and a replicable step in empowering youth to navigate the intersection of sports, education, and financial opportunity.
Space is limited, so please RSVP to secure your spot.
Register Now
Speakers
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, a freshman Councilmember who represents Philadelphia At-Large. has passed the first-in-the-nation NIL (name, image, and likeness) protection act in partnership with Temple Beasley School of Law. As Chair of the Education Committee, Councilmember Thomas works to invest and protect young people of all ages. Councilmember Thomas actively coaches youth basketball and lives in West Oak Lane with his wife and their three children.
Professor Ken Jacobsen
Professor Jacobsen is Practice Professor of Law at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he teaches Sport Law and is the Director of Temple’s Sports Law Program. A practicing lawyer for 30 years before entering academia full time in 2010, he also teaches courses in Temple’s nationally recognized Trial Advocacy Program. His full background can be found at www.Jacobsenlaw-PA.com.
Professor Jacobsen also is an entrepreneur who co-owns successful businesses in the sports industry. He was a founding partner of the Wilmington Blue Rocks, a high “A” affiliate of the Washington Nationals in Wilmington, Delaware. He also provides legal advisory and consulting services to professional athletes on sponsorship deals, promotions, appearances and other marketing activities in the Philadelphia area and on the establishment of their charitable and philanthropic foundations. His past clients have included Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Michael Vick, Shane Victorino and others. He also has worked closely with Malcolm Jenkins’ foundation and with the Players Coalition, a non-profit organization that Jenkins co-founded with other NFL players to promote social justice and racial equality.
A prolific author of articles and commentary, Professor Jacobsen is a frequent lecturer, seminar participant and visiting professor at law schools both throughout the United States and abroad, including in Italy and Taiwan. He is a nationally recognized expert on “name, image and likeness” (NIL) and has twice been selected to present academic papers on baseball and American culture at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
Khaaliq S Van-Otoo
Khaaliq Van-Otoo, is a Philadelphia native and 2022 graduate of Elon University, where he majored in journalism and sport management. With an extensive background in writing and reporting, he has written articles, published in various North Carolina news outlets and has participated in journalist programs at WHYY and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Khaaliq interned in the Gun violence task force at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office this past summer and recently took part in a Fines & Costs clinic in The Sheller Center, where he counseled and aided community members file waiver motions for their crippling and un-affordable court debt. An alum of Abington Friends High School, where he ran track and played basketball, Khaaliq is now most engaged in the sports and entertainment industry as a second-year law student at Temple University. He represents his sister, who is a Division I athlete at Loyola Maryland, in the NIL space and is looking to create opportunities and educate more Philadelphians in the NIL space through this initiative.