Sports Law Concentration
As the amateur and professional sports industry grows in the US and around the world, there is increasing need for professionals with specific expertise in this field.
Sports law encompasses several legal areas. Depending on what clients need, sports lawyers may be expected to handle anything from criminal matters to contract disputes, estate planning to intellectual property issues.
Students take advantage of the many offerings in our sports law curriculum, ranging from broad survey courses to a hands-on mock NHL salary arbitration seminar and externship opportunities with local college athletic departments. Students research issues in sports law and contribute articles to the UB Law Sports & Entertainment Forum, which serves as an online community for law students and alumni who share an interest in these fields. Our vibrant Buffalo Sports and Entertainment Law Society supports a variety of extracurricular activities, including UB Bulls tailgate events for sports aficionados, field trips, and other sports-related events throughout the year.
Apply
To apply for a Concentration or Curricular Program, please submit an online application.
Requirements
The Sports Law Concentration requires 16 course credits. There are three required courses, totaling 9 credits, and three required electives, totaling 7 credits. The intensive research and writing course (LAW 722) will generally be taken in the final year of law school, and provide students a unique opportunity for independent, intensive research and writing into current topics in sports law.
3 Course Requirements (9 credits)
- LAW 604 LEC Sports Law I
- LAW 621 Sports Law II
- LAW 722 Intensive Research & Writing Seminar in Sports Law
Short Courses (1 course required, 1 credit)
- LAW 733 Drug Testing in Professional Sports
- LAW 923 Professional Contract Negotiation & Arbitration
- LAW 978 NCAA Regulations (offered through Spring 2019 only)
- LAW 657 Title IX & Gender Equity in Athletics
Elective Courses (select 2, 6 credits)
- LAW 604 SEM Law & Public Education
- LAW 624 Secured Transactions
- LAW 645 Local Government Law
- LAW 650 Employment Discrimination Law
- LAW 654 Business Associations
- LAW 670 The U.S.-Canada Relationship
- LAW 689 Immigration Law
- LAW 690 Alternative Dispute Resolution
- LAW 699 Employment Law
- LAW 766 Sports Agency
- LAW 747 Arbitration
- LAW 826 Advertising & the Law
- LAW 891 Copyright
- LAW 922 Practicum in Sports Law
- LAW 978 NCAA Regulations (3 credits beginning Spring 2020)
Students pursuing the Sports Law Concentration are encouraged to apply for externships with the University at Buffalo and Daemen College athletic departments.