Sports Law Forum
A webinar series featuring players and leaders in the world of athletics discussing current topics in the sports law industry. Presented by the UB Center for the Advancement of Sport and the UB Law Alumni Association.
All Sports Law Forums are free and open to law alumni, students, and faculty. Registration is required. Individual Zoom links will be sent in your registration confirmation email.
Power in Play: A Conversation with UB Women Leading The Future of Sports Safety
A School of Law program celebrating National Girls & Women in Sports Day.
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
12 noon to 1:00 p.m.
Law students: 509 O’Brian Hall; All others: via Zoom
Although our guest speakers have pursued different paths, they share a common goal: improving access to safer sports participation for girls and women.
Join us for what promises to be a thoughtful and wide-ranging discussion as we explore questions such as:
“What are the most pressing issues for ensuring safe participation for girls and women in sports, and how can we at UB contribute to addressing them?”
This event is both a celebration of collaboration and an opportunity to garner additional support for the policy work and research we are undertaking.
To attend, register online.
Questions? Please contact Prof. Nellie Drew at hdrew@buffalo.edu.
See Also:
UB Athletics National Girls and Women in Sports Day
Saturday, February 7
Join Buffalo Athletics for a fun filled day celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports.
Featuring:
Dr. Heidi N. Suffoletto
Dr. Suffoletto is board-certified in emergency medicine with a certificate of qualifications and sports medicine and Clinical Associate Professor at UB. She directs the Sports Medicine Division within the Department of Emergency Medicine and serves as Associate Program Director for the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship. Clinically, she works in emergency departments at Buffalo General and Oishei Children’s Hospital, her Sports Medicine Clinic, focusing on musculoskeletal injuries, concussion care, and eating disorders. She is team a team emergency physician for the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bandits.
Haley Chizuk, PhD, ATC, is a Research Assistant Professor at the University at Buffalo and an athletic trainer with UBMD Orthopedics. Her research focuses on improving the diagnosis, management, and outcomes of patients with concussion, with a particular emphasis on sex differences in concussion and athlete health. With specialized expertise in aerobic exercise, epigenetics, and the integration of fluid biomarkers into clinical care, Dr. Chizuk advances the scientific understanding of concussion physiology and management. She is a key team member on multiple multi-site, multi-million-dollar grants investigating concussion and sub-concussive head impacts in athletes and servicemembers.
In addition to her research, Dr. Chizuk is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of clinicians and scientists, equipping them with the skills to push the boundaries of healthcare. She serves as co-chair of a special interest group within the International Brain Injury Association and as an expert consultant for Concussion Alliance. Her passion for sports medicine stems from her background as a competitive track and tennis athlete and continues through her current pursuit of aerial dance.
Nomi Weiss-Laxer’s research aims to translate clinical and epidemiological research to improve health services, health inequalities, and health outcomes. She has training in advanced qualitative and quantitative research methods and over 20 years of experience as a health educator and scientist, publishing over 35 peer-reviewed papers.
For over four years, Dr. Weiss-Laxer has served as a Research Scientist and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedics, working on a wide array of sports medicine studies and community outreach initiatives. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator of a Community Health Equity Research Institute pilot grant aiming to integrate youth voices and participation into CPR training and AED access efforts in athletics, schools and communities. She is also a Co-Investigator on a CTSI translational science grant seeking to evaluate two educational formats of hands-only CPR education strategies in Erie County. She serves as a research mentor to UB medical students and partners with the Buffalo Black Nurses, Inc., UB’s Black Men in White Coats organization, and Say Yes Buffalo.
Dr. Weiss Laxer earned her PhD from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and completed a National Research Service Award postdoctoral fellowship with UB’s Primary Care Research Institute.
Registration
Past Events
November 20, 2025 -Inside NHL Player Representation with Steve Bartlett
October 14, 2025 - Inside the Huddle: Meet Mark Murphy, Former Packers CEO and Hall of Famer.
October 1, 2025 - Athlete Health Care: The Heart of Sports Law featuring Heidi Suffoletto, MD, FACEP and Nomi Weiss-Laxer, PhD, MPH, MA.
Following the discussion, the entire law school community articipated in a hands-on CPR training as part of UBMD's continuing effort to share Damar Hamlin's life-saving initiative.
April 28, 2025 - A Conversation with Del Reid: The Story of Bills Mafia featuring Del Reid
February 7, 2025 - From Intramurals to the Olympics: The Changing Dynamics in Girls' & Women's Athletics featuring:
- Kelly Cruttenden
Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, University at Buffalo - Vicki Mitchell
Director and Head Coach of UB’s Men's and Women's Cross Country and Track & Field Programs, University at Buffalo - Kristen Thorsness, Esq.
Of Counsel, Bond Schoeneck & King
Arbitrator, Court of Arbitration for Sport (including for the 2024 Paris Olympics), 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist (Rowing)
November 21, 2024 - In the Trenches: Representing NFL Players featuring:
- Shane Costa '13, NFL Agent and Director of Football Operations with Generation Sports Group. A lifelong native of Western New York, Shane Costa has over a decade of experience in professional football. Following graduation from the School of Law, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, he became a certified NFLPA Agent and has represented nearly 50 players in the NFL, including draft picks, pro bowlers, and starters.
November 5, 2024 - Top Notch Tips from An Agent featuring:
- Jett Wright, agent at Topnotch Management
October 2, 2024 - Exploring the NFL's Antitrust Ticket Lawsuit with the Heavy Weights featuring:
- Ken Belson, New York Times reporter covering sports, power and money at the NFL and other professional sports leagues.
- Christine P. Bartholomew, antitrust scholar and vice dean for academic affairs at the University at Buffalo School of Law.
April 22, 2024 - From the Boardroom to the Field: Life as a Sports Exec: A Discussion with Amy Latimer, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Delaware North
- Amy Latimer has responsibility for Delaware North’s business operations around the world, with accountability for driving performance at more than 200 high-profile locations across sports and entertainment venues, national and state parks, destination resorts and restaurants, airports and travel hubs, and gaming properties.
April, 2024 - Redefining the Game for Women's Sport: A Discussion with Susie Piotrkowski, Vice President of Women's Sports Programming & espnW for ESPN
- Susie Piotrkowski is responsible for leading women’s sports content relationships and driving the future vision of the espnW portfolio, including the new W. Studios group.
April 10, 2024 - Navigating the New NCAA: A Round Table Discussion with members of UB Athletics
A program focused on understanding the new NCAA. Members of UB Athletics will also discuss careers in Name, Image and Likeness, where NIL is headed, and where future jobs are going to be.
Featuring:
- Mark Alnutt
Vice President, Director of Athletics - D'Ann Keller
Deputy Director of Athletics - Kelly Cruttenden
Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance - Pete Lembo
Head Coach, Football Program
Nov. 6, 2023 - Check and Cross-Check: Negotiating a Professional Hockey Player's Contract
- A discussion about how the contract negotiation process has changed over time featuring long-time NHL agent Steve Bartlett and former Sabres Captain and General Manager, Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame inductee Gerry Meehan '82.
Oct. 27, 2023 - Community Benefits Agreement: A Conversation featuring Erie County Legislator April Baskin
- A discussion about the Buffalo Community Benefits Agreement with April Baskin, Chair of the Erie County Legislature, District 2.
Oct. 16, 2023 - What ARE the Odds? Meghan Chayka Talks Sports Analytics in the New Era of Sports Betting
- Meghan Chayka, co-founder of the ice hockey analytics firm, Stathletes, and Data Scientist in Residence at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Sept. 18, 2023 - Keeping the Bills in Buffalo: A Conversation with the County Executive featuring
- Mark Poloncarz, Erie County Executive
- Moderated by Richard Tobe ’74, Director of Special Intergovernmental Projects, New York State Department of Labor
April 17, 2023 - The Role of the NFL Agent featuring
- Shane Costa ’13
NFL Agent, General Counsel, Generation Sports Group - Paul Iya ’13
NFL Agent, Director of Legal Affairs, Generation Sports Group
March 28, 2023 - Playing the Game: A Conversation with Industry Icon Darren Heitner on NILs and the Rapidly Changing Business of Sports featuring
- Darren Heitner
Founder
Heitner Legal, PLLC
Feb. 1, 2023 - Changing the Playing Field: Perspectives from Women Leaders Across the Sports Industry featuring:
- Kathryn D’Angelo, Esq. ’10
Interim General Counsel, Buffalo Bills - Dr. Ally Howe
Team Physician, USA Hockey
US Women’s World Championship Team - Julianne Sitch
Head Men’s Soccer Coach, University of Chicago - Lorrie Turner, Esq. ’96
Chief Legal Officer; Senior VP of Global Legal and Brand Protection and Secretary
New Era Cap Company - Jenn Vrentas
NFL Correspondent, The New York Times - Sarah Herlihy Willson, Esq.
Associate General Counsel, Boston Celtics
Student moderators:
- Donnett Hickson '23
- Emily Maziarz '23
- Candace Sena '23
Nov. 30, 2022 - The Unique Art of Baseball's Salary Arbitration featuring
- Joshua S. Fox
Senior Counsel, Labor & Employment Law Department
Proskauer Rose LLP - Robert Pannullo
Litigation Associate
Winston & Strawn LLP
Nov. 2, 2022 - The Evolving Intersection of Law and College Sports
- Philip J. Zaccheo
Member, Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC
Oct. 12, 2022 - Repping the Stripes: Meet Alex C. Dell, Esq., Counsel to NHL Referees
- Alex C. Dell, Founding Attorney
Law Firm of Alex C. Dell, PLLC, Albany, NY
Apr. 22, 2022 - Creating the NFL Schedule: Logistics, Rivalries, Analytics & Instinct featuring
- Michael North
Vice President of Broadcast Planning
National Football League - Charlotte Carey
Director of Broadcasting
National Football League
Apr. 13, 2022 - Meet Dave Gardi: The NFL’s QB of On-field Operations
- Dave Gardi
Senior Vice President of Football Operations, Policy and Compliance
National Football League
Mar. 18, 2022 - A Conversation with Ukrainian-born NHL Super-Agent Daniel Milstein
- Daniel Milstein
Agent to several Russian National Hockey League players
Mar. 3, 2022 - The State of Baseball featuring
- Jonathan A. Dandes
Corporate Vice President, Rich Products Corporation
Former President, Rich Baseball Operations/Bisons Baseball - Leo Dandes ’10
Vice-President/Financial Crimes Division, HSBC
Head Baseball Coach, AAA/BA
Former Head Baseball Coach
D’Youville University Saints
Mar. 1, 2022 - NFL Politics: The Play-by-Play featuring
- Ken Belson
NFL Correspondent
The New York Times