Sports Law Simulation

This course will provide experiential opportunities for students interested in practicing in the sports industry in the United States. Each student will participate in one major experiential project over the course of the semester. For example, past students have worked with the General Counsel for the Los Angeles Dodgers and corporate counsel for Toyota to negotiate and draft a mock sponsorship agreement; other students have conducted a mock NBA player salary negotiation with the assistance of the Golden State Warriors' General Manager and an experienced agent; other students have participated in a mock Major League Baseball player salary negotiation and/or salary arbitration with the aid of experienced agents and the Mets' Assistant General Manager. Some of the meetings with the industry experts will take place outside of class hours and off-campus. Each project requires substantial written work (though the written work does not qualify for SAW credit).

This is a five unit graded course. On Tuesdays we will cover substantive legal issues pertaining to both professional and NCAA team sports in the United States. Representative issues include: labor law issues, antitrust law issues (including those raised by the collective bargaining process, player drafts, and NCAA rules), individual player-club contract issues, player-agent issues, and gender equity issues. On Thursdays, students will participate in a series of skills exercises.  Some of the exercises will be transactional in nature; students will engage in contract drafting and negotiations.  Other exercises will involve advocacy.  In conducting the advocacy exercises, students will play the role of advocate or judge in problems involving the substantive law that we will cover on Tuesdays; advocates will write briefs and engage in oral argument, and judges will preside over the argument and draft opinions.  Final grades will be based 50% on your work on your project and 50% on your work on the skills exercises.  There will not be a final exam. 

This course is designed to provide relevant knowledge and experience for students interested in representing professional sports leagues, teams, sponsors, professional athletes, the NCAA, and/or NCAA student-athletes. The course is also designed for students who simply have an interest in sports and the law and are willing to work at gaining negotiation, drafting, and advocacy experience. Enrollment is limited and admission is by consent of the instructor.