The University of Western Ontario: Course Law & Sport (Canada)
Western Lawwww.law.uwo.ca
1151 Richmond Street
Suite 2
Canada
N6A 5B8
Tel: (519) 661-2111
Selected Topic (ST) course: The topics covered vary. Detailed information is provided by the Faculty prior to course selection. Variable credit hours, one term.
Instruction:
This course is not a traditional sports law course! The student can obtain that information from published books on the topic. You need to buy one such book. The course will focus on the alternative dispute resolution {ADR} processes of sport. That is an area where I have direct personal experience and is a subject matter that has universal application beyond sports law. We will examine the negotiation process in sport with agents, clubs and establishing a league across international boundaries. The course will also examine dispute resolution processes used in sport. The arbitration mechanism for the Olympics; for doping control in sport; NHL salary and NHLPA arbitration contrasted with baseball arbitration and the international arbitration by the Court of Arbitration for Sport of which I am a member. I also plan to have a number of well known figures in the Sports law field as guests. Many topics will be presented by a guest speaker well versed in the subject area. The course consists of presentations on sports-related topics within an ADR context. Students will have done a presentation before or after the guests. For each presentation there will be a specific series of problems and exercises to be completed before and after each session. The guest speakers will assist me in evaluating the presentations that you do. Following each presentation there will be intensive class discussion on the issues addressed. Student will be required to study the underlying political and business issues associated with each topic. There will be substantial time required beyond the class hours to do background reading and prepare documents exercises and simulations for class.
Assessment:
Class participation; individual projects; and group projects & presentations. There is no final examination but there are a considerable number of exercises to be done individually and in groups. Your grades will be a combination of Group marks and individual assessments. There are both written and oral presentations and simulations to be evaluated. You must work in a group. If you are disinclined to group work please do not take this course.
Description:
The principle objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of sports-related topics that are not widely written about. The course will touch upon both amateur and professional sports. Students can expect to study various Collective Bargaining Agreements in professional sport as well as the Rules and Regulations of various National and International Organizations. The balance of the course involves an intensive analysis of the dispute resolution and disciplinary process of different sports bodies. However, there will be some discussion of contract negotiation, formation and interpretation as well as anti-trust law. The ultimate goal of the class is to provide information that would otherwise be unattainable and allow students to combine this knowledge with information that can be accessed through any library. You should emerge form this course with enhanced ADR skills; specific sports research related skills and a new body of knowledge of specific sports topics. I think the course will be exciting and fun but hard work will be required to obtain the maximum benefits of my experiences and those of the guests I bring into the class room.