The Sports Lawyers Association (SLA) is a non-profit, international, professional organization whose common goal is the understanding, advancement and ethical practice of sports law. There are over 1,000 current members: practicing lawyers, law educators, law students, and other professionals with an interest in law relating to professional and amateur sports.
Vision: To be the preeminent global association for sports law.
Mission: To connect established and aspiring leaders in the sports law field and to elevate the expertise, diversity, equity, inclusivity and reach of the profession.
SLA Statement on the Importance of the Rule of Law: Within the broader legal, social, and political context of our communities, sport has a unique capacity to serve as a bridge across cultures and viewpoints—locally, regionally, and globally. Acknowledging this unique platform, and consistent with our mission to connect and develop leaders in the sports law profession, SLA encourages thoughtful and informed conversation on issues at the intersection of sport, law, and society.
As a global community of legal practitioners, scholars, and leaders, SLA affirms the fundamental importance of the rule of law and respect for legal institutions as cornerstones of justice, fairness, and public confidence. In times of public consensus and discord alike, lawyers have a special responsibility and opportunity to practice ethical leadership, model civil discourse, bolster our legal systems, and work to improve them where necessary.
These principles are essential not only to healthy societies but also to the integrity, governance, and credibility of sport at every level. With sport as a unifying platform, SLA recognizes its privilege and responsibility to encourage and model productive discourse, seek mutual understanding, and uphold respect for human dignity.