Contributed by Korey Turner
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 7, 2019) — Howard University School of Law’s Sports and Entertainment Law Students’ Association (SELSA) recently hosted its 22nd Annual Center Court Conference – themed “The Frontier of a New Evolution.”
With panels on intellectual property, the internet of things, sports, music, and television and film, the conference attracted panelists from Netflix, the NFL, Viacom, Lewis Brisbois, Akerman, MSK, and some of the most respected entertainment law entrepreneurial practices in the nation.
“As a prior conference attendee, when I joined SELSA’s executive board, I communicated my desire to make the event a premier experience. Humbly, from substance to the number of attendees, I believe we succeeded at that,” said Center Court Conference Coordinator Korey J. Turner, a third-year JD/MBA student at Howard Law. “When I arrived at Howard Law, I had some entertainment industry experience, but didn’t know how to leverage that if I wanted to eventually be an entertainment lawyer. To me, this conference aims to guide people who are in a similar position.”
The keynote speaker was Lita T. Rosario, Esq., a double-Bison and Howard Law alumna (J.D. ’86). She inspired attendees as she apprised the crowd on her journey from being a corporate/securities lawyer to working with artists we now consider music industry veterans— including Dru Hill, Mya and Missy Elliott.
“It’s almost like [sometimes] entertainment law [is] a myth, and now we've been enlightened, seeing that it's actually real. Seeing so many successful African-American entertainment attorneys gave me a new level of confidence,” said Clarence Ellington, a 1L at Howard Law.
The conference is often an event that forges relationships between aspiring legal practitioners and industry mentors, sometimes even future employers.
“I think what is most important is that our feedback has told us many left feeling worthy and capable of their sports and entertainment law career goals,” Turner noted. “It’s incredible really.”
SELSA hosts the Center Court Conference every spring and looks forward to using its momentum to continue inspiring not only their members, but Howard University and all of its stakeholders.
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About SELSA
Established in 1996, the Sports and Entertainment Law Students’ Association, (SELSA), is an award winning, professional law-student operated organization, dedicated to offering Howard University School of Law students and Howard undergraduate community the opportunity to learn about the practice and culture of law in sports and entertainment.
About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.
Media Contact: Misha Cornelius, misha.cornelius@howard.edu
