Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

Juror Misconduct . . . and a Very Resourceful Mom

Post author:Michael M. O'Hear
Post published:December 2, 2008
Post category:Criminal Law & Process

Coincidentally, on the very day I am planning to cover juror misconduct in Criminal Process, I see this story in the New York Times regarding a murder conviction that may be overturned based on juror misconduct. Notice how brazenly the defendant’s mother sought out evidence of misconduct. This is, of course, precisely the sort of post-verdict harassment of jurors that Federal Rule of Evidence 606(b) aims to prevent. I wonder if the mother has created a criminal liability problem for herself by disguising her identity and secretly recording phone conversations with the juror in question.

The Usefulness of Heroes

Post author:Daniel Suhr
Post published:December 2, 2008
Post category:Legal Practice

Thanks so much, Deans Kearney and O’Hear, for the invitation to serve as the inaugural alumni blogger on this most excellent effort. I added the MULS Faculty Blog to my RSS reader the day it was announced, and am glad to have done so.

You’ll forgive me if I start the new month by focusing on last month’s question: who was your most influential law school professor? I had originally intended to modify the question slightly and praise Professor Christopher Wolfe (pictured above), but I understand all the best points were already covered at the STMS banquet by Dean Kearney and Katie Longley.

So instead, allow me to praise the question itself. In short, it is good that we reflect on who influences us, and it is worthwhile to identify people we look up to and admire. I am currently researching and drafting a law review article that encourages lawyers to be more intentional about selecting a hero to learn from and emulate. (I take the liberty of suggesting several candidates for the job as well.)

What is “Sports Law” and Who Is a “Sports Lawyer”?

Post author:Matthew J. Mitten
Post published:December 1, 2008
Post category:Sports & Law

During December, I will be periodically blogging about a variety of sports law topics. Although sports-related legal issues frequently arise (almost daily) and interest the general public as well as lawyers, most people fail to appreciate the breadth and complexity of “sports law.” I recently wrote the following column on this topic for the December 2008 issue of The Young Lawyer, a newsletter published by the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division:

It is a common misperception that “sports law” is a narrow field populated primarily by lawyers representing professional athletes, sports leagues, or clubs who have specialized expertise in sports-specific laws. To the contrary, “sports lawyers” represent a wide variety of clients who need legal advice and representation that usually requires knowledge of several general areas of law.

Virtually every field of law regulates or is relevant to one or more aspects of youth, high school, college, Olympic and international, professional, or recreational sports.