Long Island Nets and Liberty team up with St. John’s for sports law program

BY LOIS ELFMAN Special to the AmNews

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, and the New York Liberty partnered with St. John’s University School of Law to host a sports law summer program for 20 local high school students from underrepresented communities. The goal is to increase diversity in the legal profession.

“We try to use our platform to create access to opportunity,” said Jackie Wilson II, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at BSE Global, parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Liberty. “So, it is impactful and important that we be able to change the way that young students dream. I’m a big proponent of people aspiring to what they see.”

The 10-day program took place last week and this week at Barclays Center with students participating in daily classes and being exposed to different career paths. The students were selected from a field of applicants. Among the topics was the intersection of sports law and social justice. The participants got to attend a Liberty game last week versus the Atlanta Dream.

Wilson, who is an attorney, practiced for several years after law school before utilizing his legal acumen and skills in the sports world. He shared his path with the program participants and informed them of the different avenues in which they can use a legal education.

“We had the opportunity to put them in front of practicing attorneys and people like myself, still using my legal background and knowledge in my day-to-day work but in a very different way than they may have assumed by watching attorneys on TV,” said Wilson. “Law school teaches you critical thinking skills, writing, problem-solving and issue spotting.”

The high school juniors and seniors also learned about networking and got a start on building their network of contacts. They got to meet people who work in the sports industry, including from BSE, the Brooklyn and Long Island Nets, and the New York Liberty. Faculty from St. John’s University School of Law also participated in the programming, giving the students insights into the scope of law school and what goes into preparing and applying.

Wilson said the 20 students were energetic and inquisitive, and they had a diverse range of reasons for participating. “Their energy fueled the speakers,” he said.