Law Center News
Southern University Law Center partners with sports and entertainment company to increase diversity efforts within trending industry

The sports and entertainment industries have been largely non-diverse with respect to c-suite, executive, legal, and management opportunities. To combat this issue, the Law Center and Diverse Representation have engaged in a collaborative working relationship to increase diversity in these respective positions.
"Diverse Representation is honored to collaborate with Southern University Law Center for this unique one-of-a-kind partnership,” said Jaia Thomas, Esq., founder and chief executive officer of Diverse Representation. “While the sports and entertainment industries are heavily dominated by Black athletes and entertainers, there is still a dearth of representation when it comes to Black attorneys and agents in these spaces. We are excited to partner with Southern University Law Center to continue our quest to close that gap. Through a series of workshops, panels, and programs, we look forward to preparing the next generation of sports and entertainment attorneys, agents, and executives."
“In an effort to provide trending and experiential opportunities to our students and alumni, we have partnered with Diverse Representation to introduce them to the sports and entertainment industry where they can flourish and transform their legal careers.” said Marla Dickerson, associate vice chancellor of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives.
Through this strategic alliance, the Law Center and Diverse Representation seek to develop and create mutually beneficial programs and projects designed to educate, engage, provide internships, and otherwise empower Law Center students and alumni regarding concerning opportunities in the sports and entertainment industries.
Diverse Representation is a Los Angeles-based company whose mission is to competitive sports and entertainment agency that sets out to increase the exposure and hiring of number of African American agents, attorneys, managers, and publicists who work in the sports and entertainment industry. Founded in 2018, Diverse Representation provides the first ever comprehensive directory of African American agents, attorneys, managers, and publicists throughout the country. The company also curates various programs, events, and diversity initiatives, such as the recently launched Black Music Executives Pipeline Program, in partnership with Color of Change.
Within our partnership, SULC and Diverse Representation are preparing to host numerous networking and educational events throughout the 2021-2022 academic year that will allow students to converse and learn from leading industry thought leaders and legal professionals. One noteworthy component of the partnership is a sports agent bootcamp, the first-of-its-kind HBCU program aimed at equipping students with tools and skill sets to pursue careers as professional sports agents.