What is Sports Law?

Sports law is an area of law dealing with legal issues in professional sports. Lawyers involved in this field handle cases such as labor and player relations, sports marketing and broadcasting contracts, drug testing, trademarks and copyrights, intellectual property, stadium financing, broadcasting contracts, as well as fan issues. Sports law has been described as a "practice area that uses legal skills to protect sports or entertainment companies from emerging legal problems."

Why study Sports Law?

Sports law degrees at universities are typically multidisciplinary. This means students will take courses in different disciplines. For example, a sports law program may require students to take classes in areas such as tort law, business management, contracts, antitrust law, labor relations, and tax law. A common career path for those that have a sports law degree is to do some legal work at a sports organization such as the NFL Players Association or other trade associations before eventually moving on to become an agent representing professional athletes.

What jobs are available with a Sports Law degree?

Sports law jobs are found with professional sports teams. They may work with general counsel lawyers and labor relations managers. Sports lawyers can represent athletes, coaches, referees, or owners in legal disputes. They may also perform contract analysis, or provide expert testimony in cases that involve actions against professional sports leagues. Other possible employers are law firms specializing in sports law, as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Earning a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is an academic achievement upon completing a series of courses over the course of three or four years. The subjects that are studied in order to earn this degree vary widely under the disciplines of the liberal arts and sciences.