Trade, Sports & Professional Associations

College athletes head to court after NCAA rule change

Basketball players who graduated high school in 2022 are heading to courts in several states, seeking injunctions to block the NCAA from enforcing new rules that allow a fifth year of eligibility that they feel excluded them from the new guidelines.

Jul 13, 2026 8:11 AM CDT

Soccer fans sue StubHub over World Cup ticket fiasco

With complaints piling up against StubHub over 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket fiascos, two California residents are suing the ticketing giant for allegedly failing to fulfill seat orders as promised and crushing the dreams of die-hard soccer fans.

Jul 6, 2026 9:45 AM CDT

This personal injury lawyer wanted to push his limits, so he took up bare-knuckle fighting

It’s not that Victor Demesmin Jr. was looking for a fight, exactly. But he was certainly looking for a challenge. That’s just the kind of guy he is—so throwing himself into the ring as a bare-knuckle fighter was on-brand for the South Florida lawyer and father of three.

Jul 1, 2026 1:00 AM CDT

A passion for football helped this LA lawyer add a sports angle to her real estate finance practice

Super Bowl LX. The FIFA World Cup 26. The 2025 NBA All-Star Game. For sports fans and athletes alike, these events represent the ultimate in competition and the realization of dreams. For Los Angeles lawyer Sonia Nayak, they’re all in a day’s work.

Jul 1, 2026 12:50 AM CDT

A Big 12 coach is dismissed for cause, and some question the university’s motives

Kansas State University made waves in February when it fired head men’s basketball coach Jerome Tang for cause. Tang told reporters after his team’s 29-point home loss to the University of Cincinnati that he was “embarrassed for the university,” that the players “do not deserve to wear this uniform” and added that “there will be very few of them in it next year.”

Jul 1, 2026 12:35 AM CDT

Supreme Court upholds bans on transgender women in female athletics

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld bans in Idaho and West Virginia on transgender athletes playing on girls’ and women’s sports teams, the latest in a string of legal setbacks for the LGBTQ+ community before the high court.

Jun 30, 2026 9:21 AM CDT

State supreme court vacates sanctions against retired NFL player’s defense counsel

The Mississippi Supreme Court has vacated sanctions leveled against one of retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre’s lawyers in a state civil lawsuit involving misspent welfare funds.

Jun 9, 2026 10:24 AM CDT

Legal tech companies make a play for more sports deals

Some things just go together. Fans and foam fingers. Beer and hot dogs. Sports and legal technology? While the latter once seemed like an unlikely pairing, several leading legal tech companies have inked multiyear sponsorship deals with professional sports teams in the last couple of years.

Jun 2, 2026 12:36 PM CDT

‘B-A-D’ But Good: Professional athletes gave this lawyer a nickname fitting her skills

A managing partner of Willig, Williams & Davidson, which she co-founded, Deborah R. Willig has for decades leveraged her working-class roots and negotiation skills as a union-side advocate in Philadelphia. When you represent unions, Willig says, “you’re basically fighting for the little person against the giant corporation or giant government. It’s frequently a David and Goliath battle.”

May 28, 2026 10:54 AM CDT

SCOTUS allows coach’s race discrimination suit against NFL to move forward

The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings to pursue some of his claims of racial discrimination against the National Football League, rather than move them into arbitration, Bloomberg Law reports.

May 27, 2026 9:35 AM CDT

Will US immigration policies create ‘chilling effect’ on World Cup?

The FIFA World Cup has long been seen and billed itself as a nonpolitical tournament. But that label is being put to the test, thanks to the restrictive immigration agenda of President Donald Trump’s administration.

May 21, 2026 2:44 PM CDT

This lawyer can fight for you in court or the cage

It’s not that personal injury lawyer Victor Demesmin Jr. was looking for a fight, exactly. But he was certainly looking for a challenge. That’s just the kind of guy he is—so throwing himself into the ring as a bare-knuckle fighter is on brand for the South Florida father of three. “The idea of going into a ring, bare-knuckled, it was the scariest thought for me,” says Demesmin, 37. “And because it was so scary for me, I decided I would have to do it.”

Apr 9, 2026 10:37 AM CDT

Manual labor and college football shaped the trial lawyer he is today, litigator says

Before I ever stood in front of a jury, I stood on the turf at Georgia Tech as a college football player. I’ve also dug graves, worked on offshore oil rigs and branded cattle as a ranch hand. At first glance, none of these roles seem to have much in common with the world of high-stakes trial law that I’ve occupied for nearly 40 years. Yet each one instilled lessons and forged qualities that have been invaluable in the courtroom.

Apr 7, 2026 1:26 PM CDT

University of New Mexico students present heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali as legal champion

Ten years after he died, many still call Muhammad Ali the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. But for students at the University of New Mexico, it’s his championing in the courtroom that made him a knockout.

Apr 2, 2026 2:15 PM CDT

Legal services provider 8am and NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers announce partnership

Coming soon to the Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers: the 8am Club. The legal services provider announced in a joint statement with the team on Thursday that it will be the official professional services partner of the Buccaneers, and it will receive naming rights for one of the stadium's two premium lounge seating sections.

Apr 2, 2026 12:27 PM CDT