Montana Lawyer February/March 2024

Powell honored for sports law work on behalf of Olympic climbing hopefuls during pandemic

Having benefited personally from the being a part of sport ing organisations, Karen Powell sees the legal and regulatory volunteer work she pours into sporting clubs as a just reward. Over her lifetime Powell — a member of the State Bar of Montana currently living in Melbourne, Australia, where she teaches at Deakin Law School — has been involved in sports as diverse as ice hockey, water polo and roller derby. But it was her work helping sports climbing Olympic hopefuls access im portant training facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic that has seen Powell receive a prestigious industry award recogniz ing community service in the field of sports law. Powell recently received the Denis Callinan Award at the 2023 Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association con ference, in recognition of the work she did for Sport Climbing Victoria during the pandemic. Something of which she’s very proud. “Being able to directly support our athletes was one of my proudest volunteer moments. More importantly, though, receiving this award provides recognition to Sport Climbing Victoria and all of its volunteers who work so tirelessly on behalf of athletes,” she said. “I’ve been a volunteer in sport as long as I have been playing sport. So, when Melbourne lockdowns happened, I knew I would be one of the few people who could combine regulatory expertise with climbing knowledge to support climbers through the pandemic – protecting not only their physical but also their mental health.” In 2020, as the Victorian government imposed lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia’s sports climbing community faced significant challenges. The sport was gearing up for its debut in the Tokyo Olympic Games, and top athletes, including Olympic hopefuls, were stuck in lockdown without access to training facilities. Sport climbing is a fully volunteer-run sport. So Powell, a long-time volunteer at Sport Climbing Victoria, took it upon

herself to navigate these difficulties. As lockdown restrictions eased for professional athletes, Powell used her legal drafting and project management skills to draft a comprehensive plan that adhered to government regula tions, including health and safety protocols, and was approved by the government oversight board. Karen Powell holds the Denis Callinan Award she re ceived at the 2023 Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association conference.

James Reavis is available for attorney referrals for appeals to the Montana Supreme Court to handle your client’s criminal or civil case. Reavis has resolved over 130 appeals. He is a respected and well-known advocate before the Court. Reavis is available to attorneys for consultation, brief writing assistance, or taking a lead role in your client’s appellate strategy. Attorneys are invited to call 406-433-5511 or email james@nkbattorneys.com . APPELLATE ADVOCACY

301 N. 27TH STREET, #100, BILLINGS, MT 59101 • 406-433-5511

8

WWW.MONTANABAR.ORG

MONTANA LAWYER