Getting an LLM, or Master of Laws, in Sports Law can be a great way to enhance your legal career. Sports were once seen as a pastime; something for people to watch when they had the chance. Collectibles like cards were the province of children. However, today, things are much different. Sports are a multi-billion dollar industry.
As sporting leagues have developed over the past 20-30 years, contracts have become ever more complex. More leagues have become international. Even the NFL plays exhibition games in Europe. The NHL routinely lends players to European leagues. There are all kinds of complex considerations that need to be addressed by sporting organizations today. Getting an LLM in Sports Law can really enhance the application of someone who wants to work in this environment.
One of the best-rated and most unusual law programs is at Leicester De Montfort University. Offered by one of the premier law schools in the UK, this degree is available online. That means people can work toward their degree during their career. The De Montfort program is also known for providing practical, not just theoretical, experience for students. Sheffield Hallam University is another UK University with a highly-regarded Sports LLM program.
California’s Pepperdine University is also known for its LLM in Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law. Located in Malibu, Pepperdine is very convenient to the media and sporting capital of Los Angeles. There are plenty of opportunities convenient to the school. Pepperdine is also known for hosting many symposia and conferences related to entertainment law.
There’s another wonderful sports law LLM program in California at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego. Graduates from the TSJL program work in all aspects of Sports Law. This includes intellectual property related to sports. One graduate of the TSJL LLM program even went on to become an MLB team general manager.
Switzerland is also a global center for sports law. A Court of Arbitration for Sport is even headquartered there. There are several great LLM programs for Sports Law there, too. These include the Université de Lausanne and the University of Zurich offer programs in Sports Law. At Zurich, the Sports Law option is one specialist option for people in the LLM for International Business Law program.