The National Football League Players Association named Georgetown Law Professor Deborah Epstein, as well as former White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler (LAW ’96), to its newly created Commission on Violence Prevention.

The 11-person commission was announced earlier this month by the players’ union in light of various violent incidents involving NFL players, including the child abuse case of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson and the domestic violence cases of Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer and, most notably, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice. After facing criticism for suspending Rice for only two games for striking his then-fiancee, now wife, Janay Palmer in an elevator, the NFL later elevated Rice’s punishment to an indefinite suspension from the league.

“The commission was established because we wanted to take a more critical look at some of the acts of violence that occur in the NFL, and that’s by everyone: players, owners, front office, really anybody that is connected to the game,” Teri Patterson, NFLPA deputy managing director, said. “And particularly in light of recent domestic violence instances, we wanted to make sure that we were taking a correct approach in prevention and intervention.”

Georgetown is already connected to the NFL through the chair of its board of directors, Paul Tagliabue, who served as the league’s commissioner from 1989 to 2006.

Epstein, a member of the law center faculty for over 20 years, is the director of Georgetown Law’s Domestic Violence Clinic and is a member of the D.C. Mayor’s Commission on Violence Against Women.

Boston College professor Lisa Goodman, a longtime friend and colleague of Epstein who co-wrote a book on domestic violence, titled “Listening to Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach to Advocacy, Mental Health, and Justice,” with her, said Epstein has a unique approach that will make her an asset to the NFLPA.

“I think that she really has a great, strategic, big-picture understanding of the field and where it needs to go,” Goodman said. “She really knows how to put big ideas into actionable strategies and pieces. So, I think that she will be unlikely to be okay with window dressing.”

Ruemmler, who was speculated as a potential candidate to replace Attorney General Eric Holder before removing herself from contention, served as President Barack Obama’s White House Counsel from June 2011 to June 2014.

“I am very proud that Professor Deborah Epstein and alumna Kathryn Ruemmler (LAW ’96) were selected to serve on this commission,” Law Center Dean William M. Treanor said in a statement to The Hoya. “Domestic violence is a serious issue and the appointment of these two members of the Georgetown Law community is reflective of the Law Center’s dedication to public service and commitment to justice.”

Although the NFL has pushed for reform prior to February’s Super Bowl, Patterson called the players association’s timeline of actions to prevent domestic violence “very aggressive.” The commission will continue to work with the NFL, however, to make recommendations and to review their plans for reform.

“The tangible goal of the commission will be in the form of recommendations to the NFL in terms of their training, education protocols, discipline process, etcetera. Because they’re the ones with the platform to sort of roll out any presentation or training or anything like that,” Patterson said.

The Commission on Violence Prevention has already begun to meet and take tangible action. Various media outlets have reported that the players union has offered the NFL a critique of its proposed training for players in the league. According to NBC Sports, critics have taken issue with the players union for treating all players as “perpetrators,” not defining who would offer training, and not focusing enough on behaviors that could lead to violence. Patterson declined to comment on specifics of the commission’s activities.

Goodman has high hopes for the future work of the commission.

“I think it’s been a long time coming,” Goodman said. “I think that we need efforts like this at every level to work with athletes and to work with men in general. But this is a group who has the power not only to change the discourse for NFL players but to change the discourse for athletes and for men if they take it seriously enough and if they push far enough.”

Epstein declined to comment, and Ruemmler could not be reached for comment.