Sports Law

Title IX prohibits educational institutions receiving federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sex. In intercollegiate sports, Title IX requires equal scholarships, equal treatment, and equal opportunity. While Title IX has greatly expanded opportunities for women and girls to participate in sports, ninety percent of intercollegiate athletic programs are still in violation of Title IX. Our experienced attorneys work to protect and enforce athletes’ rights under Title IX through civil litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and policymaking.

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Unfortunately, coaching abuse is rampant throughout the sports industry, particularly in collegiate and Olympic sports. There are several avenues to report coaching abuse, including through SafeSport, Title IX, or other internal procedures. Our attorneys can assist in reporting coaching abuse and providing representation throughout investigations to ensure the complaint is fully addressed, and, if necessary, take legal action if an athlete’s rights are violated.

With recent rule changes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), college and high school athletes are learning to navigate the evolving and often complex world of name, image, and likeness. Athletes can benefit from having our experienced attorneys review contract proposals to ensure they comply with relevant school and NCAA rules and state laws, as well as ensuring their rights are protected.

We can support athletes throughout the complex process of navigating and negotiating contracts, endorsements, NIL agreements and other legal needs or disputes.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport Code prohibits sexual, physical, and emotional abuse in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement. Our firm represents victims of abuse and witnesses participating in SafeSport proceedings to ensure their rights are protected throughout the investigation.

We represent Olympic and Paralympic athletes in internal disputes and grievance procedures with national governing bodies, including team selection disputes under Section 9 of the USOPC Bylaws, administrative grievances, and SafeSport violations within the jurisdiction of a national governing body.

The NCAA enforces strict eligibility guidelines. Our attorneys work with high school and collegiate athletes to ensure they remain eligible and provide legal assistance when eligibility disputes arise.

Professional and collegiate athletes are subject to various anti-doping rules, including the World Anti-Doping Code, the NCAA Drug Testing Program, and/or the anti-doping rules of their respective professional league. Sometimes, an athlete can contest a positive test or a whereabouts failure to reduce their sanction or prove their innocence. In these cases, our attorneys can assist athletes with challenging or appealing a sanction.

Most professional sports leagues have player conduct codes that hold athletes to a standard of appropriate personal conduct. We advise and represent claimants through internal investigations, hearings and disciplinary procedures and civil litigation.