Prerequisites: None

Exam Type: Last Class Take-home

This introductory Sports Law course will offer an overview of the three major sports that dominate the American sports scene today: Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. The course will devote approximately equal time to each of these three major sports and compare/contrast the similarities and differences among them, from a historical legal perspective.

Specifically, the course will evaluate the legal evolution of America’s “three major leagues” and examine how the Supreme Court’s, other courts’, and arbitrators’ landmark decisions have affected the path of each league’s progress. Guest Speakers with unique Sports Law expertise will be invited to help guide class discussions on selected topics throughout the course.

Class participation and successful completion of weekly assignments will count for a significant portion of the student’s final grade. In Week Three, a graded “Reflection Paper” on a relevant Sports Law topic will be assigned in preparation for the Final Exam. Other weeks, less formal Pass/Fail writing assignments will be assigned on topics with the then-greatest relevance to the course. The Final Exam will be available on the last day of the course.

Enrollment is available to second year, third year and LLM students. For JD students who take this course, independent writing projects can be pursued on any topic in the course for an additional one, or possibly two, credits.

Students who are interested in the winter or spring Sports Law Clinic are strongly encouraged to enroll in both of Professor Carfagna’s fall courses: “Sports and the Law: Examining the Legal History and Evolution of Americas Three “Major League” Sports: MLB, NFL and NBA” and “Sports Law: Advanced Contract Drafting.”

To learn more about the Clinical Curriculum and Registration, please visit our Clinical Registration Center. You can also find more information on How to Register for Clinics and How Clinical Credits Work.

Note: This course will meet for the first six weeks of the term from 9/4 – 10/9.