A rising 3L at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law is one of 10 law students nationwide—and the first IU student ever— to receive the Sports Lawyers Association’s Student Writing Competition Award.
Amelia Taylor won the honors for her work “A Critical Analysis of Name, Image, and Likeness Policies and Their Implications for International Student-Athletes.”
While American student-athletes have been allowed to earn compensation through NIL deals since July 2021, international student-athletes have faced major hurdles due to immigration laws and policies.
“I chose to focus on international students’ NIL rights because this issue is often overlooked, with media and politicians focusing on higher-profile topics like athlete compensation, employment, and recruitment/inducements,” Taylor said. “Despite the attention these issues receive, they do not address the unique challenges faced by international students.”
Taylor said her interest in the subject arose from her own personal relationships with international student-athletes who aren’t able to capitalize on the new NIL landscape in college athletics.
“Seeing them go to class and encounter classmates with stickers of their likeness on laptops and water bottles, while being unable to receive any compensation due to immigration laws, felt fundamentally wrong,” she said. “My passion grew as I interviewed a variety of international student-athletes across different sports and schools, revealing how deeply this issue affects their athletic careers and overall college experience. Through my work my aim is to bring greater exposure and awareness to this complex issue.”
Prof. Mark Janis, director of the Law School’s Center for Intellectual Property Research, praised Taylor’s achievement.
“Amelia is already immersed in the practical aspects of the NIL issue – and that’s a real accomplishment by itself, given how radically the legal landscape is shifting,” he said. The Law School’s NIL Initiative, run by the CIPR, allows law students to work with student-athletes at IU on potential NIL opportunities.
The annual SLA Student Writing Competition solicits submissions from JD and LLM students across the country, with this year’s theme focused on current issues in sports law. Submissions were reviewed and judged by a panel of professional sports attorneys, who selected the top 10 entries.
Taylor received $1,000 in prize money and a complimentary spot at the 2024 Sports Lawyers Association’s Annual Conference, held in Baltimore this past May.