Sports Law Competitions 2020-2021

The Sports Law Program supports internal negotiation competitions for students beginning in their 2L year in school.  Students who participate can then be considered for placement on a National Team during their 3L semester. In order to participate, students must be Sports Law Certificate candidates, and members of the Sports Law Society.

The Competition program is led by the Sports Law Competition Board, this year led by 3L Chair, Marnae Mawdsley. Complete information on the competitions typically offered can be found on the Competition website.  Please note that due to the current crisis in the United States the National Sports Law Negotiation Competition has been moved to the fall 2020, and the Fordham Basketball competition has been cancelled.

The following information is based on the best estimate of competitions that will take place in the 2020-2021 academic year.  Questions on the Intramural and National Competitions can be directed to 3L Chair, Marnae Mawdsley.

 

Intramural Sports Law Negotiation Competition

 

The Intramural Sports Law Negotiation Competition develops Sports Law Program students’ skills and creates more competitive, better prepared teams for national competitions by exposing competitors to different competition formats.  Students who participate in the intramural competition are eligible to be placed on a national competition team.  All 2L Certificate candidate who are members of the Sports Law Society are eligible to compete in the competition.  This year's Intramural Competition is planned for the fall 2020 semester.

 

National Competitions

 

2L students who have competed in the Intramural Competition may be placed into the following national competitions à

  • the Game Day Sports Case Competition brings together teams of J.D. and M.B.A. students from top universities around the country to analyze, present and negotiate a real-world solution to a sport business problem, rotating each year between Los Angeles and Villanova, Pennsylvania.
  • the National Baseball Arbitration Competition is a simulated salary arbitration competition modeled closely on the procedures used by Major League Baseball (MLB), held in New Orleans each spring.
  • the National Basketball Negotiation Competitions, in which students are given different negotiation scenarios that a National Basketball Association agent, coach, general manager, owner or franchise may encounter, held in New York City and New Orleans each spring.
  • the National Football Negotiation Competition, is a simulated contract negotiation using real life scenarios and actual upcoming NFL free agents, held in New Orleans each spring.
  • the National Sports Law Negotiation Competition, in which students are given fact patterns focusing on real-world sports issues such as contract negotiation and intellectual property issues affecting individual athletes, leagues, teams, and licensing companies, held in San Diego each year.

 

Sports Law Moot Court Team

Students interested in developing their oral argument and brief-writing skills are eligible to be selected for Marquette's Sports Law Moot Court Team if they successfully complete the Law School's Appellate Writing and Advocacy course in the fall semester of their second year in law school.  The team participates in the Mardi Gras Invitational National Sports Law Competition held in New Orleans each year. Participation in the Intramural Sports Law Negotiation Competition is not required to be eligible for the Moot Court Competition.

 

 

Writing Competitions (all for monetary awards, including publication)

 

You are all probably more familiar with our Writing Competitions.

  1. The Anne Wall “Ethics in Sports Law Award” is provided to the student who writes the best essay on a current ethical dilemma in amateur or professional sports.  Nothing more than that.  Anne is one of our longtime Board of Advisors member and created this award to showcase and support students in the Sports Law Program.  The essay is not long – only between 10 and 15 pages double spaced (so approximately 3,000 words or so.  The winner receives $500. Complete details about this competition and award can be found online at https://law.marquette.edu/national-sports-law-institute/anne-wall-%E2%80%9Cethics-sports-law-writing-competition-and-award%E2%80%9D. Submissions are due March 20th.

  1. The Janis Doleschal “Risk Management in Sports Law Award” recognizes the Marquette University Law School student who writes the best essay focused on an important risk management related issue in the sport industry.  Risk management is a focus on avoiding legal liability and assessing situations of potential harm or damage to mitigate such harm or damage before it occurs. Jan is a longtime Board of Advisors member and she created her award because this is an area she has worked with law school student interns, and taught in my workshop.  She also wants to support students in the Sports Law Program.   The essay is also not long – only between 10 and 15 pages double spaced (so approximately 3,000 words or so.  The winner receives $1,000. Complete details about this competition and award can be found online at https://law.marquette.edu/national-sports-law-institute/janis-doleschal-%E2%80%9Crisk-management-sport-writing-competition-and-award%E2%80%9D.  Submissions are due March 20.

  1. The newly created Collegiate Issues in Sports Law Writing Competition recognizes the Marquette University Law School student who writes the best essay focused on an important collegiate athletics related issue in the sport industry.  Our very recent alum Christian Bray, who is now in the athletic department at Harvard, created this award to specifically give back to the Sports Law Program, and set a legacy for students coming after her.  Once again a short 10-15 page essay is all that is required.  Christian will be with us at our end of year banquet to present this award, the winner will receive $500, herself. Complete details about this competition and award can be found online at https://law.marquette.edu/national-sports-law-institute/collegiate-issues-sports-law-writing-competition.  Submissions are due March 20.

  2. The Joseph E. O'Neill Prize was established by the law firm of Davis & Kuelthau, S.C. and the National Sports Law Institute to annually recognize a Marquette University Law School student who has published the best article in the Marquette Sports Law Review (formerly the Marquette Sports Law Journal) during the preceding year as judged by the Review's Advisory Panel.

  3. The Marquette Sports Law Review Comment Competition Award is given to the member of the Sports Law Review who wrote the best overall student comment during the current academic year as judged by the Sports Law Review's Editorial Board.