School is about to start back up across the nation, which means that many law schools will start to announce their Sports Law Symposiums for the Fall and Spring semesters.  Yesterday, I received an email about Marquette University’s 2009 Conference.  Marquette is home of the National Sports Law Institute, one of, if not the, most respected Sports Law programs in the United States.  Here are the details:

What: Conference on The Evolution of Sports Law and Business from the 20th to the 21st Century

When: Friday, October 23, 2009 (8:30 am to 5:30 pm)

Where: The Alumni Memorial Union on the Marquette’s campus

Cost: Register here.  General admission = $150.  Members of the National Sports Law Institute = $99.  Marquette University Law School alumni = $75.  Members of the Sports & Entertainment Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin = $110.  Marquette University students and faculty = FREE.  Law students from any other law school = $50.

Panels & Participants:

High School Sports
Moderator:

• Matt Parlow, Associate Professor of Law, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI

Panelists:

• John S. Black, General Counsel, National Federation of State High School Associations, Indianapolis, IN
• Doug Chickering, WIAA Director Emeritus, Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, Stevens Point, WI
• Janis K. Doleschal, Retired Commissioner for Sports and Athletics, Milwaukee Public Schools, and Sports Law Consultant, Law Offices of Jacques Mann & Start Playing Safe, Milwaukee, WI

Gender Equity, Torts and Sports Officiating Law
Moderator:

• William Miller (L’96), Assistant Professor, Health, Exercise Science & Sport Management, University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Kenosha, WI

Panelists:

• Paul Anderson (L’95), Associate Director, National Sports Law Institute and Adjunct Professor of Law, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI
• Timothy Davis, John W. & Ruth H. Turnage Professor of Law, Wake Forest University School of Law, Winston-Salem, NC
• Barry Mano, President, National Association of Sports Officials, Racine, WI

College Sports
Moderator:

• Steve Cottingham, Director of Athletics, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

Panelists:

• Elsa Kircher Cole, Vice President of Legal Affairs/General Counsel, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, IN
• Shawn Eichorst (L’95), Executive Associate Athletic Director, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
• C. Peter Goplerud, Dean and Professor of Law, Florida Coastal School of Law, Jacksonville, FL
• Kathryn Statz (L’00), Associate Athletic Director, Varsity Sports, DePaul University, Chicago, IL

Professional Sports
Part One:
Moderator:

• Casey Coffman, Chief Operating Officer, Hicks Sports Group LLC, and Executive Vice President, Hicks Holdings LLC, Dallas, TX

Panelists:

• Mary K. Braza, Partner, Chair, Sports Industry Team, and Member, Management Committee, Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee, WI
• Jim McKeown, Partner, Chair, Antitrust Practice Group, Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee, WI
• Phoebe Williams (L’81), Associate Professor of Law, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI

Part Two:
Moderator:

• Matthew Mitten, Professor of Law and Director, National Sports Law Institute of Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI, and Member, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland

• Martin J. Greenberg (L’71), Managing Partner, Greenberg & Hoeschen, LLC, Chair of the Board, Wisconsin Sports Foundation, and Member, Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District, Milwaukee, WI
• J. Gordon Hylton, Professor of Law, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, WI, and Visiting Professor of Law, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
• Irwin P. Raij, Partner, Regulatory Industries Department, Member, Public Affairs and Real Estate Practices, and Vice Chair, Sports Industry Team, Foley & Lardner, Washington, D.C.

Olympic/International Sports
Moderator:

• John P. Collins, Partner, Collins & Collins, Chicago, IL

Panelists:

• Gary Johansen, Associate General Counsel, NGB and Athlete Affairs, United States Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs, CO
• Richard McLaren, Professor of Law, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, Counsel to McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP, and Member, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland
• James Nafziger, Visiting Boden Professor, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Thomas B. Stoel Professor of Law and Director, International Law Programs, Willamette University College of Law, Salem, OR
• Michael Straubel (L’82), Associate Professor of Law and Director, Sports Law Clinic, Valparaiso University School of Law, Valparaiso, IN

Basketball

• Worldwide Wes: A name I have not heard in quite some time [Surprise! William Wesley, aka Worldwide Wes, is at the Center of a Recruiting/Sneaker Controversy].
• Did you know that it’s run by a major Coach Agent? [Warren LeGarie: The Man Behind Vegas Summer League]
• I love that Tellem always makes time for this [NBA Stars to Play for Peace at Youth Clinic].

Baseball

• Thoughts? I don’t like the idea [Time to End the Draft System?].

Football

• Hopefully this is not what the UFL is looking forward to a few years down the line [AFL heading for bankruptcy?].

Sports Business

• Fantasy Sports 2.0 [FanDuel turns fantasy sports betting into a social game].
• After reading this article, all I could think about is how much Chinese companies like Houston Rockets players.  Will that change if Yao doesn’t return? [The Future Of Endorsements]

Sports Agents

• “The jockey agent is more like a theatrical agent.” [Lodi roots key to top jockey agent Mullica's success]

Contract Negotiation

• It still boggles my mind that the NFLPA does not complain THAT MUCH about the Franchise Tag [Quirky Sports Contracts].

Where: James B.M. McNally Amphitheatre, Fordham Law School. 140 West 62nd Street, New York, NY.

When: Friday, April 17, 2009

Program Agenda

9:00 AM- Welcome and Opening Remarks
Opening Remarks by Tanner Rouse
Co-Editor, Fordham Sports Law Symposium

9:30 AM – Panel I
Pharmaceutical Liability and Sports

Moderator:

JOHN M. VORPERIAN, ESQ.
Professor of Sports Law/Sports Management,
Concordia College;
Host, “Beyond the Game”

Panelists:

EUGENE ROGER EGDORF, ESQ.
Pharmaceutical Litigator, The Lanier Law Firm;
Certified Contract Advisor, NFL Players Association

EUGENE LEE, ESQ.
President and Founder, ETL Associates;
Certified Contract Advisor, NFL Players Association

CAMERON A. MYLER, ESQ.
Associate, Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Selz, P.C.
Four-time Olympic Luger;
Associate Counsel, World Olympians Association

5 Minute Break

11:15 AM – Panel II
Sports Journalism Ethics

Moderator:

ABNER GREENE, ESQ.
Leonard F. Manning Chair,
Professor, Fordham University Law School

Panelists:

ARI FLEISCHER
President, Ari Fleischer Sports Communications
Former White House Press Secretary

MIKE FLORIO, ESQ.
Correspondent, Profootballtalk.com

JACK MARSHALL, ESQ.
President and Founder, ProEthics;
Primary Writer and Editor, The Ethics Scoreboard

MARK CONRAD, ESQ.
Professor of Legal and Ethical Studies,
Fordham University School of Business

DAVID SUSSMAN, ESQ.
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP
Former Counsel and acting COO of the New York Yankees

1:00 – Lunch

1:45 PM – Keynote Address

Introduction by PAT F.X. FITZPATRICK, JR.
Co-Editor Fordham Sports Law Symposium

JOHN D. FEERICK, ESQ.
Sidney C. Norris Chair of Law in Public Service,
Director /Founder of the Feerick Center for Federal Justice,
Fordham University Law School

2:45 PM – Panel III
Gambling in Sports

Moderator:

MATTHEW J. MITTEN, ESQ.
Director, National Sports Law Institute;
Director of LL.M in Sports Law for Foreign Lawyers,
Marquette University Law School

Panelists:

JEFFREY STANDEN, ESQ.
Professor of Sports Law,
Willamette University;
Author of Upcoming Publication:
The Beauty of Bets: Prediction Markets, Wagers and Compensation for Professional Athletes

JAY MOYER, ESQ.
Adjunct Professor,
Fordham University Law School;
Special Counsel, National Football League

MARC EDELMAN, ESQ.
Visiting Professor,
Rutgers School of Law- Camden;
Founder and CEO, www.SportsJudge.com

SENATOR RAYMOND LESNIAK
State Senator of New Jersey
Plaintiff: Interactive Entertainment & Gaming Association, Inc., et al. v. Holder, et al.

CLE Credits and Registration Fees: Free and open to the public | 6 NYS CLE (non-transitional, professional practice) credits and lunch available for $100 ($85 for Fordham Law alumni & public interest attorneys). Lunch without CLE credit is available for $10. Fordham Law School has a financial hardship policy.

Where: University of Kansas School of Law, Green Hall Room 104, 1535 W. 15th St.  Lawrence, KS 66045

When: Thursday, April 9, 2009 – 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Schedule:

• 1:00 – 1:05:  Introduction, Brian Martinek, 2L, Vice President KU Sports & Entertainment Law Society
• 1:05 – 2:15:  Panel One – The Bases are Loaded with Lawyers
  • Collective Bargaining:  Strikes, Lockouts, and the Hundred Year War Between Players and Owners
    • Steve Fehr, Outside Counsel for the Major League Baseball Players Association
  • The Lawyer as Agent:  Representing the Superstar, the Role Player, and the Draft Pick
    • Randy Hendricks, Managing Partner, Hendricks Sports Management LLP
  • Maximizing the Players’ Right of Publicity
    • Judy Heeter, Major League Baseball Players Association Director of Business Affairs and Licensing
• 2:15 – 2:20:  Break
• 2:20 – 3:30:  Panel Two – The Program:  An Inside and Outside Look at College Athletic Departments
  • The Athletic Department:  Compliance and Investigation of Infractions
    • Chris Howard, Associate Athletics Director, University of Kansas
  • Representing the University:  When the Lawyers Get Involved
    • Steve Morgan, Bond, Shoeneck & King, PLLC
• 3:30 – 3:35:  Break
• 3:35 – 4:15:  Panel Three – So You Want to be Jerry Maguire?
  • Representing Professional Athletes:  Stories from the Front Lines
    • Kevin Regan, Founder and President, Regan Law Firm, LLC
• 4:15 – 5:00:  Reception

*There will be a Q & A near the end of every panel.

Cost: Free

Any questions please contact Brian Martinek at brian.martinek@gmail.com.

Where: Shepard Broad Law Center, Nova Southeastern University.  See map.

When: Saturday, March 28, 2009 – 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Schedule:

• 8:30 – 9:15: Check-in
• 9:15 – 9:30: Opening Remarks
• 9:30 – 11:00: Panel One – Intellectual Property
• 9:30 – 10:15: CBC v. MLB: The Fantasy of an Athlete’s Publicity RightsIn the 2007 case CBC v. Major League Baseball, the court ruled that MLB does not own the names and statistics of its players as intellectual property.  They found that the names and statistics are factual information, not subject to copyright.  As a result, fantasy sports websites could now freely use those statistics in its operations without paying a licensing fee.  This panel will discuss the new implications brought about by this court ruling, focusing specifically on the new CBS Fantasy College Football and Basketball websites formed in response to this decision.  The CBC case only discussed their ruling in reference to professional athlete’s names and statistics, yet CBS Sports used this case to justify using amateur college athletes in their new fantasy games.  This panel will also focus on whether their actions are a violation of an amateur athlete’s right of publicity; whether the CBC case standards should be different for amateur athletes; and whether this is a violation of the NCAA amateurism rules.
• 10:15 – 11:00: Litigating a Right of Publicity CaseThis panel will discuss the relevant legal precedent used when litigating a right of publicity case in the state of Florida. It will also include a discussion on the different strategies used and defenses to expect when working on right of publicity cases as well as ways to protect your client’s name and likeness.
• Moderator: Kimberly D. Kolback, Esq., Attorney at Law
• Speakers:
  • John Bradley, Esq., Law Offices of John F. Bradley
  • David Friedland, Esq., Lott & Friedland
  • Sarah Talalay, Sports Business Reporter, SunSentinel
  • Carl D. Berry, Esq., Berry, Clark & Wildman
  • Michael Santucci, Esq., Santucci, Priore & Long
  • Rick Karcher, Esq., Sports Law Blog, Professor of Law, Florida Coastal Law School
• 11:00 – 11:15: Break
• 11:15 – 12:30: Panel Two – Ethics – “Whole Wired World”
  Case Studies of the Advantages and Pitfalls for Attorneys and Their Clients in Utilizing the Press and Blogs
• 11:15 – 11:45: Blogs
  RIAA v. People BlogAttorney Ray Beckerman created a blog discussing his cases against the RIAA as well as all other cases involving the RIAA. The RIAA recently asked for sanctions against Mr. Beckerman for blogging about his representation of clients in RIAA lawsuits. When is it okay for attorneys to blog about their work and what ethical issues should an attorney consider when deciding whether to start such a blog?
• Mark Cuban BlogIn a September 2008 blog entry entitled “Thanks for the Advice on Josh Howard”, Mark Cuban posted the comments, names and email addresses of those people who had sent him racially tinged remarks about comments made by Dallas Mavericks basketball player Josh Howard. One day later he removed that post saying he had made his point. This panel will discuss the ethical issues an attorney should consider when advising a client, possibly one who is a public figure, on possible pitfalls involved in running a blog as well as ethical ways to avoid any legal issues while maintaining the blog’s integrity and purpose.
• 11:45 – 12:30: The Press
  Maintaining Strong Relationships with Members of the Media while also Upholding Certain Client ConfidentialitiesOver the past few years there have been a variety of different approaches used by agents when dealing with the media. This panel will analyze approaches taken by Drew Rosenhaus when Terrell Owens was holding out for a new contract in Philadelphia; Scott Boras with Alex Rodriguez’s recent contract negotiations; and Jimmy Sexton with Nick Saban’s transition from the Miami Dolphins to the University of Alabama. When working with the media, agents tend to walk a fine line between promoting their client’s interest and violating multiple ethical rules. This portion of the panel will discuss how to maintain a strong relationship with members of the media and use those relationships to benefit your client all while staying within the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
• Moderator: Jason Weiss, Esq., Arnstein & Lehr
• Speakers:
  • Alan K Fertel, Esq., Pathman Lewis
  • Adam B. Swickle, Esq., Swickle & Swickle
  • Glenn Schwartzman, Esq., Alliance Sports Mgmt.
  • Jemele Hill, ESPN.com writer
  • Jeff Darlington, Miami Herald, Dolphins Writer
  • John Bock, J.R. Capital and Investment Corp., Former Miami Dolphin
  • Maria Elles Scott, Scott Sports Management, President; Adjunct Faculty, University of Miami

• 12:30 – 2:00: Luncheon: Keynote Address and Excellence in Sports Award Recipient Donald Fehr, Executive Director of Major League Baseball Players Association
• 2:00 – 2:15: Break
• 2:15 – 3:45: Panel Three – New Business Models for Music Industry
• 2:15 – 3:00: The Current State of the Music IndustryThe music industry is in the process of transforming its business models in a bid to earn money in an environment where 95% of music downloads are illegal and not paid for. Digital platforms now account for around 20% of recorded music sales. A new generation of music subscription services, social networking sites and new licensing channels are emerging as viable outlets for legal music distribution. This panel will start with an overview of the current state of the music industry including hot issues, trends and recent legislation. It will then move into a discussion on the best ways to advise your entertainment clients on how to be successful in the current music industry and the ethical issues relating to these questions.
• 3:00 – 3:45: Can Video Games Save the Music Industry?In 2008, “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero” users downloaded more than 50 million tracks from the games. According to Activision Blizzard, the creators of “Guitar Hero III”, bands whose songs are included in the game can expect online sales of their music to increase by an average of 300% as a result. Both games provide a second-Life for many older songs. Some artists have even begun releasing their albums via download through these video games weeks before physical release. Other bands have struck deals to create new band-specific video games (i.e. Metallica and Aerosmith versions of “Guitar Hero”, The Beatles version of “Rock Band”). This panel will be an in depth discussion on each of these new revenue streams and ways to make sure your client gets the most out of them. It will also include an in-depth discussion on the licensing issues involved in creating these games.
• Moderator: Richard C Wolfe, Esq., Attorney at Law
• Speakers:
  • Marc Stollman, Esq., Live Nation Artists
  • Frank Castoro, Esq., Santucci, Priore & Long
  • Ivan J. Parron, Esq., Parron & Associates
  • Giti Khalsa, Smith and Barney Financial Advisor and former drummer of Seven Mary Three
• 3:45 – 4:00: Closing Remarks

Cost: Save at least $5 if you pre-register.  Registering early will cost you $15 if you are an NSU Law Student, $25 if you are a law student at another school, $25 if you are a non-law NSU student, $35 for general admission, and $80 if you are an attorney looking to get some CLE credit.  Register here.

Where: Flynn Auditorium, Vanderbilt University Law School.  See map.

When: Friday, March 13, 2009 – 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Schedule:

• 9:00-9:50 am: Registration & Continental Breakfast
• 10-11:30 am: NCAA Panel (Student-Athlete or Student-Employee? The Relationship Between the NCAA, Universities, and Student Athletes)
  • David Cohen, Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP
  • William King, III, Lightfoot, Franklin & White
  • Gene Marsh, Professor of Law, University of Alabama Law School
  • Naima Stevenson, Assistant General Counsel, NCAA
  • David Williams, Vice Chancellor for University Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary, Vanderbilt University
• 12-1:00 pm: Keynote Speaker Jonathan Handel, Like Scorpions in a Silicon Cage: How Hollywood Management and Labor Fought While Content’s Kingdom was Slipping Away
• 1:30-2:45 pm: NFL Panel (Sweat Equity: Contracting with Players and Coaches in the NFL)
  • Anthony Agnone, Eastern Athletic Services
  • Dennis Cordell, Founder of Coaches, Inc.; Former Staff Counsel for the NFLPA and Asst. Exec. Dir. of NFL Coaches Association
  • Rick Karcher, Assoc. Prof. of Law and Dir., Ctr. for Law and Sports, Florida Coastal School of Law
  • Steve Underwood, General Counsel, Tennessee Titans
    
• 3:15-4:30 pm: Music Panel (Maintaining the Musician: Protecting Music, Image, and Technology Today)
  • Joseph F. Brazil, Loeb & Loeb; Former Vice President of Business Affairs for EMI Music
  • Elizabeth Gregory, The Law Offices of Elizabeth V. Gregory, P.C.
  • Ken Sanney, Day & Blair, PC, and Adjunct Prof. in the Department of Recording Industry, College of Mass Communication at Middle Tennessee State University
  • Cheryl Slay, Solo Practitioner and Asst. Prof. of Music Business at Belmont University in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business
• 4:30-5:30 pm: Closing Remarks & Reception

Cost: Five hours of CLE credit will be available for an $85 fee (for the whole day), which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Email Emily Creditt (emily.c.creditt@vanderbilt.edu) for more information.

Where: Harvard Law School.  See map.

When: Friday, March 13, 2009 – 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 14, 2009 – 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Schedule:

March 13:

• 4:00-5:00 pm: Keynote Speech by Andrew Zimbalist
• 5:00-6:30 pm: Panel on New Stadiums
  • Moderator: Peter Carfagna, Partner, Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP (Cleveland, OH) Lecturer on Law, Harvard Law School
  • Marc Edelman, Visiting Assistant Professor, Rutgers School of Law
  • Derek Jackson, Vice President & General Counsel, Florida Marlins
  • Damon Jones, Vice President / Club Counsel, Washington Nationals
  • Andy Lee, Principal, ALL Counsel & Consulting, Former General Counsel, New York Jets
  • Mike Lufrano, Senior Vice President, Community Affairs/General Counsel, Chicago Cubs
  • Allan G. Mutchnik, Partner, Skadden, Arps (Los Angeles)
• 6:30-8:30 pm: Reception

March 14

• 10:30 am-12:00 pm: Panel on New Media
  • Moderator: Rick Karcher, Associate Professor, Center for Law and Sports at Florida Coastal School of Law
  • Bob Bowman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Major League Baseball Advanced Media LP
  • Frank Hawkins, Partner, Scalar Media
  • Mike Mellis, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Major League Baseball Advanced Media LP
  • Bryan Perez, Senior Vice President and General Manager, NBA Digital
  • Mike Zarren, Assistant Executive Director of Basketball Operations/Associate Counsel, Boston Celtics
• 12:00 pm-1:30 pm: Lunch & Speech by Jeff Pash (Executive Vice President, National Football League)
• 2:00 pm-3:30 pm: Panel on New Markets
  • Moderator: Michael McCann, Associate Professor of Law, Vermont Law School, Legal Analyst and Si.com Columnist, Sports Illustrated, Co-Founder, Harvard Law School Project on Law and Mind Sciences
  • Rob Friedrich, NBA China
  • Eric Nyquist, Managing Director of Business Development, NASCAR
  • Jon Oram, Partner, Proskauer Rose
  • Jim Renacci, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, Arena Football League

Cost: Free for everybody; however, if you want to attend the reception and lunch, you must register prior to the event.  Register here.

Where: John & Frances Angelos Law Center.  See map.

When: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Thursday, February 26, 2009

Speakers/Topics:

• Trace Armstrong, CAA Sports | Preparing the Rookie: Pre-Draft Prep
• Pat Moriarty, Baltimore Ravens & Tom Condon, CAA Sports | Negotiating the Contract and Salary Cap, Now and in the Future
• Richard Cass, President, Baltimore Ravens | Luncheon Keynote Speaker
• Harold Henderson, NFL Legal Counsel & Richard Berthleson, NFLPA Legal Counsel | The Future of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Andrew Brandy, nationalfootballpost.com & Tony Agnone, EAS | Negotiating the Second and Third Deals
• Sarah Gaunt, NFLPA Pension Plan & Doug Ell, the Groom Law Group | NFL Player Benefits: What’s Next?
• Howard Skall, CAA Sports & Kristen Kuliga, Agent for Doug Flutie | Player Marketing in the New Economic Reality

Cost: Free.  Rre-registration is strongly suggested. To register via email, please contact the Office of External Relations at lawevents@ubalt.edu.

Where: Pepperdine University School of Law

When: February 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Panels:

• Reflections on USADA v. Floyd Landis
• The Olympic Games
• The Future of Sports Dispute Resolution
• The Perspective of the Press and Public Arbitration

Panelists Include:

• Matt Barnett – USADA Lawyer/Barnett & Barnett P.C.
• Jeffrey Benz – Arbitrator/AVP 
• Michael Hiltzik – LA Times 
• Howard Jacobs – Law Offices of Howard Jacobs
• Michael Lenard – International Court of Arbitration for Sport
• Richard McLaren – CAS Arbitrator/University of Western Ontario
• Matt Mitten – Marquette University School of Law
• Maidie Oliveau – CAS Arbitrator/Law Sports 
• John Ruger – United States Olympic Committee 
• Mike Straubel – Valparaiso School of Law
• Maurice Suh – Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
• Maureen Weston- Pepperdine School of Law

Cost: General admission to the event is $95, Pepperdine law school students admitted free, other law school students – $45.  Registration link.

The founder of ESPN and the former White House communications director spoke at the UF Law School on Friday – and that was just two of about 15 speakers and panelists the day featured.

Prominent figures in the sports law and business world gathered for the 2009 UF Sports Law Symposium, put on by UF Law’s Entertainment and Sports Law Society. Last year, the law school participated in a sports symposium on the main campus.

If you could not attend and did not watch it live online, you still have a chance to watch the symposium.  See below for two videos that document the entire event.