The sports track prepares students to represent professional or amateur athletes, leagues or clubs, sports venues and stadium owners and operators, or businesses or sports organizations.
The sports industry is complex and there is a growing demand for qualified sports law professionals with an array of expertise in law.
Topics and courses that were once thought to relate exclusively to entertainment or art can also affect the sports sphere—sports personalities can have brand sponsorships, parts in films or TV shows, their likeness branded in video games or clothing, and more.
Studying under the entertainment, arts and sports law umbrella, it is possible to get the broad range of skills necessary for today’s “sports law” practice and provides U.S. and international attorneys and law students superior training and an edge when breaking into this competitive industry.
Though “sports law” may sound niche, it is actually a broad industry crossing many areas of law.
Sports lawyers usually require skills like negotiation, drafting, and arbitration plus knowledge of various areas of law including: contracts, labor, antitrust, tax, intellectual property and media law.
Other areas of law, like immigration, can also come into play for foreign athletes and international leagues or clubs.
The LLM is two semesters consisting of required and elective courses, and a practicum. All courses are taught by Law School faculty and prominent practicing attorneys. The blended nature of the LLM enables students to maximize their studies and create a curriculum to match individual professional interests.
Courses and Requirements
U.S. Trained Lawyers
*(4 of 6 required or equivalent)
Miami Law Sports Law Conference: Students in the program also attend the Symposium on Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law.
International students have the option to do a special course of study in the LLM in Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law to accumulate enough credits to comply with the State Board of Law Examiners’ requirements to qualify to sit for the New York Bar Exam. These students still complete the LLM in the same two-semester period and earn the same degree. If an international student does not want to take the NY bar or wants to take additional courses, they can fulfill the credit requirement by enrolling in EASL electives of their choosing.
Required Track Courses
Required Elective Courses
* This course complies with the State Board of Law Examiners’ requirements to qualify to sit for the New York Bar Exam. ^The requirement to enroll in Business Associations may be waived with the prior approval of the Director of the Program. See more information for foreign lawyers on taking a U.S. Bar Exam.
Offered in conjunction with the Madrid-based Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía (ISDE), a leader in legal education, Miami Law offers a course for law students and professionals who are interested in broadening their understanding of the global sports and entertainment industries.
Peter Carfagna is a Co-Director of the Sports Law Track and is Chairman/CEO of Magis, LLC, a privately owned sports marketing, management and investment company, including family ownership of the Lake County Captains, Cleveland Indians Class A Affiliate. He also served as Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel of International Management Group (IMG) - world's premier and most diversified sports, entertainment and media company. Before that he was Senior Partner at Jones Day LLP where he worked as outside counsel to the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Cavaliers’ ownership groups. Patricia White, Professor of Law, is a Co-Director of the Sports Law Track, served as tax advisor to the Economic Study Committee of Major League Baseball, and advises for the Sports Law track of the program. She has also served on the NCAA Compliance Committee for the University of UtahFaculty
The Sports Track Committee provides advice as it relates to curriculum, guest speakers and practicum opportunities students should be seeking based on industry trends. Members include:
The sports law track was ranked in LL.M. Guide's Top 10 Worldwide Sports Law Programs in 2022, 2021 and 2020 and also ranked #1 most popular in the U.S. by llm-guide. LL.M. Guide is the premier website with information on worldwide LL.M. programs with a directory of over 700 law schools. It bases its top-10 rankings on various factors including: concentrations, research capacity, existing rankings, interntational balance, and location.
Miami and South Florida are home to all major professional sports franchises in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, Formula 1, and soccer. The city also hosts major events and championships each year. Top-rated tennis players come to the prestigious Miami Open, and since 1935 the city has hosted one of the largest college bowl games – The Orange Bowl. Only 20 miles south of the law school is Homestead-Miami Speedway, one of the leading venues on the NASCAR circuit. There is also the Polo World Cup featuring international teams which is held on Miami Beach. All this enables students to participate in site visits with general counsels and access opportunities for their practicum requirements.
Miami International Autodrome (Formula 1 Track) and Hard Rock Stadium
