Sport Solution Clinic
The Sport Solution Clinic is a program of AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s National Team and Olympic and Paralympic Athletes, in conjunction with Western Law School.
AthletesCAN is the only fully independent and most inclusive athlete organization in the country and the first organization of its kind in the world. As the collective voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture.
Sport Solution is the only program of its kind in North America and is available to all members of AthletesCAN. To keep up-to-date with all things Sport Solution, please follow us @sportsolutionclinic on Instagram.
Our Mission
Sport Solution is committed to supporting an athlete-centred sport system and strives to achieve this objective by counselling and advocating on behalf of Canada’s high performance athletes so their voices are properly represented when resolving the sport related issues that affect them.
The Clinic
Sport Solution offers Western Law students the opportunity to assist Canadian national team athletes in preventing and resolving sport-related legal issues. Each year, the Clinic typically hires 12 first-year law students as Caseworkers and 6 upper-year Case Managers. Caseworker responsibilities range from legal research to drafting briefs and athlete agreements, while Case Managers provide mentorship to caseworkers and assist Program Managers on client files as well as other ongoing projects. 6 upper-year Program Managers oversee the Clinic as a whole, directing the day-to-day operation of the Clinic in a leadership role as well as interacting with athletes and National Sport Organizations (NSOs). Program Managers are hired following their first year and hold the position until graduation, but are able to seek summer employment away from the Clinic following their second year.
Supervising Lawyer
Amanda Fowler
Amanda Fowler is the Supervising Lawyer of the Sport Solution Clinic at Western’s Faculty of Law. Amanda started her sports law career when she represented a college baseball player who was drafted to a major league team. Shortly after, she began practicing sports law by representing Olympic, high-performance and amateur athletes in various sport disputes, including team non-selections, improper carding nominations, human rights and doping infractions. Amanda has successfully represented Canadian and international athletes at the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. One of her most memorable cases was being involved with the Caster Semenya appeal. She continues to advise professional athletes, sport organization and teams. In 2017, Amanda was a pro bono lawyer for the Invictus Games in Toronto.
Program Managers
Abby Legere 
Abby Legere is a third-year law student at Western University. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biology from Acadia University. During her first year of law school, Abby volunteered as a Caseworker with the Sport Solution Clinic before taking on the role of Program Manager in her second year, a position she continues to hold in her third year.
Before law school, Abby worked at a renewable energy research lab where she helped develop sustainable energy solutions for Indigenous communities. This role strengthened her skills in collaboration, client engagement, and translating complex information into accessible, actionable strategies, which are all skills she now brings to her work at the Clinic. Whether Abby is supporting athletes or working with communities, she is dedicated to listening first, identifying challenges, and delivering thoughtful and informed support.
Abby is a lifelong athlete and former competitive hockey player. She brings a deep understanding of the athlete experience and the demands of high-performance sport to her work. Her experiences as both a player and coach has given her a strong understanding of the challenges and injustices athletes face and the communication skills needed to advocate for their interests.
In Abby’s role as Program Manager she is dedicated to supporting athletes as they navigate legal challenges and ensuring a safe and equitable sporting environment for all.
Kenya Maughn 
Kenya Maughn is a second-year law student at Western University. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from McMaster University. During her first year of law school, Kenya volunteered as a Caseworker with the Sport Solution Clinic.
Before law school, Kenya worked in provincial government in roles connected to The Ministry of Sport and Constituency Engagement. Through this experience, she worked alongside stakeholders across the sport sector on initiatives focused on accessibility, safe sport, youth participation, community sport and recreation infrastructure, and supporting the long-term sustainability of sport in Ontario. This work strengthened her skills in communication, collaboration, and stakeholder relations.
Kenya has a longstanding passion for sport and is particularly interested in the intersection of law, governance, and athlete wellbeing. She values building strong relationships with clients and approaches her work with empathy, professionalism, and a practical mindset. Through her work with the Sport Solution Clinic, Kenya is committed to supporting athletes as they navigate legal challenges and to contributing to a safer and more equitable sporting environment for all.
Lauren Howorth
Lauren Howorth is a second-year law student at Western University with an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. During her first year of law school, she volunteered as a Case Worker with the Sport Solution Clinic.
Before law school, Lauren competed on the Varsity Softball team at UoftT, helping lead the team to a provincial championship in 2024. She also played on the Ontario Women’s Baseball team for nearly ten years, contributing to a national championship victory. Her experience as a high-performance athlete gives her a strong understanding of the pressures athletes face within competitive sport systems, as well as the importance of fair process, effective advocacy, and access to support when disputes arise.
During her undergraduate studies, Lauren worked on a number of access to justice initiatives focused on improving the accessibility of legal services for people living with disabilities. Through her work with self-represented litigants, she gained experience navigating procedural barriers and communicating complex legal information in a practical and accessible way. This experience strengthened her commitment to client advocacy and equitable access to justice.
As Program Manager, Lauren looks forward to supporting Canadian athletes through the dispute resolution process, expanding awareness of the Clinic’s services, and continuing the Clinic’s commitment to accessible and athlete-centred advocacy.
Lev Shilling
Lev Shilling is a first-year law student at Western University. Prior to attending law school, he earned a Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Victoria. During his first year of law school, Lev volunteered as a Caseworker with the Sport Solution Clinic.
Lev developed a strong interest in advocacy and client-focused problem solving through his experiences in politics and strategic communications. In these roles, he gained experience researching complex issues, preparing briefing materials under tight deadlines, and managing fast-paced client matters. Through his work at the Sport Solution Clinic, he has become accustomed to the fast-paced nature of athlete representation, which is a valuable asset considering the breadth of files and range of athletes that the Sport Solution Clinic supports.
Lev is excited to combine his interests in sport, advocacy, and the law. As a marathon runner and alpine skier he understands the importance of athlete well-being, and access to effective support systems within sport. He is particularly interested in issues relating to safe sport, governance, and athlete representation. As Program Manager, Lev is committed to fostering a collaborative clinic environment while helping ensure athletes receive practical, high-quality support as they navigate challenges within the Canadian sport system.
Legal Services
Sport Solution responds to the needs of athletes on a full range of issues including:
General Inquiries and Concerns
Call Early! Sport Solution provides athletes with the relevant information to answer any sport-related legal question. This can often have a preventative function – if the athlete is given the proper information regarding a seemingly small inquiry at an early stage, this will reduce the likelihood that the situation will evolve into a more serious issue in the future.
National Sport Organization Procedures
National Sport Organizations (NSOs) are the bodies that govern sports in Canada (for example, Volleyball Canada). When procedural issues between athletes and NSOs arise, Sport Solution students research and analyze established policies to provide athletes with a clear understanding of their claim or the tools to resolve the situation.
Appeals
If an NSO renders a decision that an athlete disagrees with, Sport Solution can assist the athlete in appealing the decision (on procedural grounds). Common appeal issues include team selection, funding and doping. Sport Solution students may assist athletes at all levels of appeal, from the internal appeal within the NSO to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC).
Mediation and Arbitration
The SDRCC is a national alternative dispute mechanism tailored to the fit the needs of the Canadian sport community. If an athlete has an issue that is serious enough to require the services of the SDRCC, Sport Solution students may assist athletes with drafting their documents and advising them on the appeal process. Advocacy for athletes at mediation or arbitration may be provided on a case-by-case basis with direct support from the supervising lawyer and/or pro bono counsel.
Specific Issues We Advise On
- General Inquiries and Concerns
- Athlete Agreements
- NSO Procedures
- SDRCC Procedures
- Safe Sport Procedures
- How to Prepare for NSO Appeals and Arbitration at the SDRCC
The areas of administrative sport law dealt with at the clinic are:
- Team Selection
- AAP Funding / Carding
- Safe Sport
- Discipline
- Other Sport Related Legal Concerns
Sport Solution Publications
Sport Solution students provide regular content to AthletesCAN, the SDRCC and Western Law that reviews common concerns within the sporting community and tips on how to deal with these topics.
Recent Sport Solution publications include:
- A Western Law Blog Post “Making sport safer: the Sport Solution Clinic and the changing nature of sport disputes”
- An SDRCC Newsletter Article on Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter
- Resource to Support Athletes Navigate Potential Anti-Doping Violations
- The 2008 Western Law Alumni Magazine featured an article about the Sport Solution Clinic.
Hours of Operation
2025 Summer Regular Office Hours: [May 8 – Aug 23]
- Monday to Friday 10am-5pm Eastern Standard Time
2025 Fall Semester Regular Office Hours: [Sept 4 – Dec 5]
- Monday to Friday 10am-5pm Eastern Standard Time
2025 Winter Semester Regular Office Hours: [Jan 13 – April 11]
- Monday to Friday 10am-5pm Eastern Standard Time
2025/2026 Sessional Dates where the clinic will be closed
- November 4-8 – Fall Study Week
- December 9-20 - Fall Term Examination Period
- February 17-21 - Winter Study Week
- April 14-28 - Winter Examination Period
Contact Information
Email: sportsolution@athletescan.ca
Phone: 519-661-4163
Facebook: @AthletesCAN
Instagram: @sportsolutionclinic
Prospective Students: If you have any questions regarding Sport Solution, or how to get involved, do not hesitate to email us.
Athletes: CALL EARLY! Sport Solution can better address your needs before the problem escalates. At the Sport Solution, you, the athlete, control the dispute resolution process - we're here to give you the tools to resolve the problem.
Before making contact, it is recommended to organize any relevant information you may have available into digital files creating a background of your situation. This will allow the program managers to efficiently investigate the issue and provide you with a timely response.Disclaimer
Sport Solution is a program of AthletesCAN, the association of Canada's national team athletes. The Program Managers, case managers and caseworkers of the Sport Solution program are law students who can provide athletes with legal information and resources on: sport dispute resolution procedures, athlete agreements and contracts, selection and discipline procedures in sport, and related legal and policy issues.
The Sport Solution Program Managers, case managers and caseworkers are not lawyers and they cannot provide legal advice or opinion. AthletesCAN respects an individual's privacy and any personal or confidential information that is provided to the Sport Solution will be used solely to assist the athlete with their issue or concern, and will not be shared with others without the athlete's consent.
