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Rice Sport Law Society

Exploring the Legal Side of the Sports Field

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Our Mission

Undergraduate Sport Management Program
in the Nation

by Niche.com since 2020

Best Undergraduate
College in the Nation

by Niche.com in 2025

100%

Student-Led Legal Initiatives

Redefining Undergraduate Impact in Sports Law

Society Features

Industry Networking Events

Participate in networking events tailored to the sports law industry. Connect with legal practitioners, sports agents, and professionals to expand your knowledge and build a strong professional network.

Educational Workshops

Attend workshops and seminars focused on key topics in sports law. Learn from industry experts and gain in-depth understanding of legal considerations in sports contracts, compliance, and front-office operations.

Rice Sport Law Review

Where the Future of Sports Law Begins.

The Rice Sports Law Review is the first undergraduate-led academic journal dedicated to sports law in the U.S. RSLR publishes two editions each year, featuring student-written articles that are led by a student editorial board—preparing the next generation of sports law leaders through research and publication.

Legal Competitions

Rice Sports Law Society is the first undergraduate team to compete at Tulane Law School’s prestigious legal competitions. Our students have gone head-to-head with top law schools, earning national recognition and setting new standards for undergraduate advocacy. We also host on-campus negotiation competitions at Rice, offering hands-on experience in contract negotiation, arbitration strategy, and CBA analysis—preparing students for the real-world legal challenges of the sports industry.

GRE & LSAT Study Groups

Rice Sports Law Society hosts peer-led GRE and LSAT study sessions, mock exam days, and group reviews to help students prepare for graduate school. The program offers accountability and helps students stay on track for exam day. Members also share study books, prep materials, and timelines to create a collaborative and supportive test prep environment.

Our Vision

O.W.L. — Ambition. Loyalty. Excellence.

At Rice Sports Law Society, we live by three core principles that define who we are and how we lead:

O – Opportunity through Ambition
We don’t wait for doors to open — we build them. Through bold ambition, we rise to every challenge, forging our own path in the world of sports and law.

W – Wisdom through Loyalty
Loyalty isn’t just a virtue — it’s our foundation. Whether it's to our clients, our community, or our teammates, we lead with purpose, guided by wisdom and unwavering integrity.

L – Leadership through Excellence
Excellence isn’t a benchmark — it’s our baseline. In courtrooms, classrooms, and competitions, we don’t just meet the standard — we set it. We lead with impact, intention, and an unshakable commitment to greatness.

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Meet the Team

The Parliamentarians

Inspired by the term for a group of owls—a parliament—our leadership team is known as the Parliamentarians, reflecting both our sharp insight and collaborative spirit. As the founders and main leaders, we guide the vision, strategy, and execution of the Rice Sports Law Society’s initiatives—from legal competitions and academic publications to mentorship, research, and industry outreach.

Kai Cowin

Internal President

Senior | Political Science & Sports Law

Kai is a senior at Rice University pursuing a dual degree in Political Science and Sports Law, with a minor in Politics, Law, and Social Thought. As Internal President of the Rice Sports Law Society (RSLS), he leads strategic planning, internal operations, and competition development. Kai is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, and maintains a strong academic focus on global conflict, corruption, and governance. He is the co-founder of Meskouri-Cowin Prep, where he coaches nationally ranked debate teams, and has led Model UN crisis simulations while serving as a research assistant with the Sherpa Institute, focusing on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Outside the classroom, Kai sits on the board of La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs (Houston), leads Rice’s Event Management Team, and serves as President of the Rice Table Tennis Club. This summer, Kai will become the first Rice student to intern with the rebranded Summer Associate Program at Alston & Bird, continuing his commitment to law, leadership, and excellence.

Maya Moise

External President

Senior | Sports Medicine & Sports Law

Maya is a senior at Rice University pursuing a dual degree in Exercise Physiology and Sports Management with a concentration in Sports Law. She currently serves as External President of RSLS, where she leads national competition efforts, strategic outreach, and industry engagement. Maya competed in both the Tulane International Baseball Arbitration and Fútbol Negotiation Competitions, making history as part of the first undergraduate team to ever participate and reach the semifinals.

This summer, she will intern with WME Sports in their Basketball Division, and her legal article, “Leveling the Playing Field or Limiting It,” was accepted for publication in the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review. Maya is also a Silver Knight Award winner, a nationally ranked Olympic weightlifter, and a fitness content creator with over 40,000 followers—bringing firsthand NIL experience and a deep commitment to athlete advocacy and legal reform in collegiate sports.

Stephanie Wilka

Faculty Advisor

Adjunct Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University
Professor in the Practice, Rice University

Stephanie Wilka is a Professor in the Practice at Rice University and Director of the Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sport Analytics. She currently serves as a Legal Strategist for FIFA and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University. With nearly two decades of experience across Major League Baseball and international sport governance, Stephanie has held senior legal and operations roles with the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and TruMedia Networks. She is widely recognized for her work in compliance, international operations, and player development, including submitting the Astros' 2012 No. 1 pick (Carlos Correa) and overseeing global initiatives like the Red Sox’s Lindos Sueños program.

Thomas Gomez

Internal President-Elect

Sophomore | Economics & Sports Law

Thomas is a sophomore at Rice University, double-majoring in Economics and Sport Law. He is a board member for the Sport Law Society. He has interned with the Houston Sports Authority, where he worked and planned over 200 hours on the 2025 AAU Junior Olympics, which generated over $90 million for the Houston economy during the three-week event. Beyond this, Thomas is the Head of Recruitment for Rice Club Lacrosse, an RSAT Football Analyst, and an NCAA Compliance intern for Rice Athletics. He is also a data annotator for SkillCorner, watching full-length football games and ensuring play-by-play data is accurately reported to NFL, UFL, and NCAA teams. Thomas plans to continue gaining experience in the sports field while using the knowledge he has gained to assist the Sport Law Society with day-to-day operations.

John David Villarreal

Treasurer

Senior | Electrical and Computer Engineering

John David Villarreal is a senior at Rice University presently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering. John David is a founding member of the Rice Sports Law Society and serves as the club Treasurer as well as the Rice Sports Law Review Editor-in-Chief.

John David is interested in Intellectual Property and Patent Law. He is attending Finnegan IP University, hosted by Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP. John David aims to analyze the patents for the technology that help shape modern sports.

Beyond law, John David has done research in the RISC-V (Reduced Instruction Set Computer, Version 5) Instruction Set Architecture under Ray Simar as well as research in FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) Programming for controlling trapped ions under Guido Pagano. He also interned at AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) where he worked as a Systems Level Test intern.

Who We've Worked For

Professional Testimonials

Tim Hutzul

Corporate Secretary & General Counsel, Canada Soccer | Global Celt, Celtic FC | TIFNC Judge

"Preparation, Pride and Passion. Like a lower division club chasing FA Cup glory at Wembley, the plucky undergrad team from Rice University pulled off a series of upsets against law schools in the 4th Annual Tulane International Futbol Negotiation Competition this past week in New Orleans before finally bowing out in a close semifinal loss. I had the privilege of judging two of their rounds and consistently heard my fellow judges speak favorably about the effort, enthusiasm, and results of Kai Cowin, Kai Peiris, and Kushal Gupta against 2nd and 3rd-year law students. Kudos. Rice University should be proud of their team."

Alyssa Estepp

Board Member, Tulane International Futbol Negotiation Competition

"The TIFNC Board and Judges were highly impressed by the knowledge, negotiation strategies, and professionalism demonstrated by the Rice University team. As the only undergraduate team competing in TIFNC, the Rice team advanced to the semifinals [..]. Beyond their impressive performance, the team members displayed wonderful personalities and were kind and appreciative throughout their time in New Orleans. We look forward to witnessing their continued growth and warmly invite them to compete again."

Andrew Ball

Assistant General Manager, Houston Astros | TIBAC Judge

"One of the most impressive teams I saw was from Rice. Not only were their arguments well-structured and logical, but they delivered their points with poise and energy. I was shocked to find out they were not law students."