There was never any question that John G. Long would be doing exactly what he is doing — plying his trade as a successful lawyer in the sports industry.
First, as he closed in on his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas at Austin in 2006, Long identified one of the country’s premier law schools for aspiring sports lawyers — Marquette University Law School and its National Sports Law Institute — and sought admission.
Next, with his JD at Marquette in hand, Long prepared to embrace the arduous task of, not only becoming a solo practitioner but also, breaking into the very difficult field of higher education law.
Long persisted, and found his niche.
“There are some great law firms out there ready to help colleges and universities with their legal needs,” said Long. “But once you get past their preferred clients — like Ohio State University and the University of North Carolina — there are a lot of other colleges and universities that need assistance, too. And those schools can’t always afford the rates of some of the bigger law firms.”
That’s where the Houston-based Long stepped in, and established himself with schools like Southeastern Louisiana University and Old Dominion University to name a couple.
More recently, Long is bent on preserving that formula, while extracting the benefits of working within a larger firm — Houston-based Michael Best & Friedrich LLP. Having a deep bench to call upon as needed is a significant benefit, according to Long.
“It’s an established, national firm with 250 attorneys, many of which already serve the higher education industry,” said Long. “The firm helps colleges and universities in areas like employment law, intellectual property, and real estate.”
Now Michael Best has additional offerings for its established client base.
Long, a member of the Labor and Employment Relations Practice Group at the firm, will counsel higher education institutions in complying with laws as well as NCAA rules and regulations. He also boasts experience with regard to Academic Performance Program (APP) Data Reviews, Athlete-Agent matters, and Title IX issues.
One of his professors isn’t surprised by his success.
“As a student John displayed humility and maturity not seen in law students all of the time,” said Prof. Paul Anderson, J.D., Associate Director of the National Sports Law Institute & Sports Law program at Marquette University Law School. “His creativity and his passion for working in the sports industry made it clear that he would create his own path, something he did immediately after law school. I could not have predicted how John would have gotten to where he is now, but now that he is there it makes sense. I have no doubt he will continue to have a large impact on collegiate athletics for years to come.”
