United States Sports Law

Subject LAWS70165 (2010)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2010.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 7 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2010:

March, Parkville - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable


Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: The total class time is between 24 and 26 hours.
Total Time Commitment: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Prerequisites: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Corequisites: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Recommended Background Knowledge: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Non Allowed Subjects: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Core Participation Requirements: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.

Contact

For the most up-to-date information about this subject, contact the Melbourne Law Masters Office by email at law-masters@unimelb.edu.au or phone 8344 6190 or alternatively visit the subject website: www.masters.law.unimelb.edu.au
Subject Overview:

This subject will consider how intercollegiate, Olympic and professional sports are regulated by the US legal system.

Principal topics will include:

  • Structure and organisation of sports in the US
  • Regulating intercollegiate athletics, specifically the legal relationship between a university and its student athletes, university duty to protect student athletes' health and safety, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules infraction enforcement process, scope of judicial review of NCAA rules and enforcement proceedings, antitrust issues and gender equity issues
  • Regulating Olympic and international athletics, specifically the structure of the Olympic Movement, governance of Olympic sports within the US, limits on use of national law to regulate Olympic sports and the operation of the Court of Arbitration for Sport
  • Regulating professional athletics, specifically internal league governance and commissioner authority, antitrust limits on internal league governance, labour law and relations, labour arbitration and drug testing issues along with an overview of the legal framework for regulating athlete-agents
  • Protection of sports-related intellectual property under US law.
Objectives:

A student who has successfully completed this subject should:

  • Understand how professional, Olympic and intercollegiate sports are regulated by the United States legal system, and be able to make comparisons with the legal regulation of Australian sports
  • Understand the key historical, sociological, economic and public policy issues influencing the development of US professional, Olympic and intercollegiate sports
  • Understand the differing internal processes for regulating professional, Olympic and intercollegiate sports within the US
  • Understand how various aspects of American public law, particularly antitrust and labour law, shape and constrain the internal regulatory authority of private sports leagues and organisations
  • Understand how sports-related intellectual property is protected by US law as well as the limits on the nature and scope of such protection
  • Be able to use this knowledge effectively in matters involving US sports organisations, leagues and athletes.
Assessment:

10,000 word research paper (100%) (7 June) on a topic approved by the subject coordinator
Prescribed Texts: Visit the subject website for more information
Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Links to further information: http://www.masters.law.unimelb.edu.au/

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