Entertainment & Sports Law

Drake alleges Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance defamed him in amended suit against music company

Rapper and singer Drake has alleged that the Universal Music Group “has tripled and quadrupled down on its defamation-for-profit strategy” in part by arranging for fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar to perform his 2024 song “Not Like Us” at the 2025 Super Bowl, according to an amended lawsuit that he filed April 16.

Apr 23, 2025 12:42 PM CDT

Whistle While You Work: Pursuing passions that elevate your legal career

"Whistle while you work." That's what one of my mentors routinely told me as I trained to become a better football official. He would remind me that, even at your lowest point, when it feels like the whole world is against you, it is important to remember the reason you are there.

Apr 3, 2025 9:24 AM CDT

Judge accused of using ‘game or jail’ tactic, asserting abuse victims get ‘Super Bowl’ neurochemicals

An Indiana judge has been accused in an ethics complaint of failing to recognize “appropriate ethical boundaries” and making “injudicious statements” to litigants and defendants.

Mar 27, 2025 3:15 PM CDT

From Courtroom to Courtside: Gonzaga Law prof also serves as chaplain for basketball team

Gonzaga University School of Law professor Father Bryan Pham will have a great seat on Thursday as the Gonzaga Bulldogs face off against the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Pham has been the men’s basketball team’s chaplain since 2019.

Mar 19, 2025 5:30 PM CDT

How thinking like an athlete can make you a better lawyer

Peak performance in high-stress environments. It’s the goal for the basketball players taking the court during March Madness but just as much for players on a different kind of court. Lawyers can and should learn a lot from elite athletes.

Mar 19, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

Former lawyer gets prison time after posing as BigLaw alum, former football player in quest for jobs

Updated: An Ohio lawyer has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for Social Security fraud after using fake identities in a quest for law firm jobs.

Mar 13, 2025 9:00 AM CDT

Gender equity questions arise with college athletes’ NIL agreements

Updated: “A lot of schools have considered bringing [third-party] NIL collectives in-house, but they may want to think again,” says Robert Boland, a professor at the Seton Hall University School of Law who previously was an athletics integrity officer at the Pennsylvania State University.

Feb 7, 2025 9:49 AM CST

Dartmouth basketball players end historic bid to unionize

The men’s basketball team at Dartmouth College dropped its attempt to unionize Tuesday in anticipation of a changing the National Labor Relations Board under the new presidential administration.

Jan 2, 2025 9:59 AM CST

Tune in to our favorite podcasts of 2024

The ABA Journal staff have conversations with fascinating lawyers every day. But in our podcasts, you get to listen in on some of those discussions. Here are our favorite episodes from 2024.

Dec 23, 2024 9:57 AM CST

Dive into our favorite long reads of 2024

The end of the year will hopefully bring you some downtime for leisure reading. We’ve curated a list of some of our favorite web and print long reads from 2024.

Dec 23, 2024 9:35 AM CST

Meet 11 ABA members who inspired us in 2024

In this year’s Members Who Inspire series, the ABA Journal featured 11 outstanding ABA members who brighten the world around them.

Dec 20, 2024 2:12 PM CST

Kalpana Kotagal’s inclusion riders promote equality in the entertainment industry

Nearly seven years ago, Frances McDormand ended her acceptance speech at the Oscars with, “I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider.” Kalpana Kotagal, a civil rights and employment attorney and a creator of the inclusion rider, had no idea McDormand would mention it. “I had gone to sleep,” says Kotagal. “I had no idea any of that had happened and woke up the next morning to just, like, chaos.”

Dec 1, 2024 12:40 AM CST

Rapper Young Thug pleads guilty in tumultuous YSL case; judge delivers a sentencing twist

The long, drama-ridden criminal racketeering and gang conspiracy trial of rapper Young Thug that began nearly two years ago ended on an abrupt note Thursday as the Grammy Award-winning hip-hop star reached a surprise plea deal in the case amid threats of a mistrial that could have started proceedings all over again.

Nov 1, 2024 8:55 AM CDT

Vanderbilt’s goal post teardown follows a football tradition that’s led to litigation from injured fans

Serious injuries have occurred when exuberant football fans engaged in the time-honored revelry of making goal posts a trophy of a significant or improbable win. Some of those harmed have sought to lay blame and seek compensation. In several such cases, it took referees in black robes to sort it out.

Oct 8, 2024 3:06 PM CDT

OpenAI’s use of Scarlett Johansson-like voice in ChatGPT exposed gaps in the law

The conflict has raised questions about intellectual property, the right to publicity and AI regulation. If actress Scarlett Johansson decides to sue OpenAI, it’s expected to be a tricky case, as laws regulating AI usage of voices aren’t clear.

Oct 1, 2024 2:40 AM CDT