In Birmingham tomorrow

I’ll be speaking in Birmingham, Alabama tomorrow to a lunch gathering of the city’s Federalist Society Lawyers’ chapter, about my book on legal academia, Schools for Misrule. The event will be at noon at the Summit Club, Sixth Ave. N. More details here.

Speaking of Alabama, the Eleventh Circuit has broadly sided with artist Daniel Moore over his right to create and sell artistic depictions of Crimson Tide sporting events without paying a licensing fee to the University of Alabama [Jon Solomon/Birmingham News, AP/Tuscaloosa News, earlier here and here]

P.S. Music lover? You might see me at this.

Filed under: Alabama, colleges and universities, football, live in person, sports, trademarks

May 18 roundup

Very silly Common Cause suit against Senate filibuster [Adler, Doug Mataconis, Jack Shafer (Filibuster unconstitutional? “Yes, but only when the GOP has the majority.”)]
More on football concussion lawsuits [Will Oremus, Slate; Gerard Magliocca, Concurring Opinions; earlier] More: Dan Fisher/Forbes.
Phrase I’ve heard before: Niall Ferguson says U.S. beset by the “rule of lawyers” [Business Insider]
“I have filed over a hundred lawsuits and another one will be no sweat for me. On the other hand, it will cost you a lot of time and money[.]” One blogger’s prolonged legal ordeal [“Aaron Worthing,” Allergic2Bull and summary version] Plus: Ken/Popehat;
Louisiana land-taint suits: “maybe I’m just going to contend the oil companies did it, not the salt domes” [Lachlan Markay, Heritage, earlier]
Kansas differs from SCOTUS on legality of resale price maintenance. Will it make policy for the other 49 states? [Ted Frank] New Federalist Society project on state courts and how they’re picked;
A lot of lobbying went into that government-prescribed “flame-resistant” furniture [Chicago Tribune]

Filed under: antitrust, bloggers and the law, CPSC, fires, football, Kansas, Louisiana, oil industry, serial litigants, state high courts, The Rule of Lawyers

The legal decline of football?

Numerous lawsuits have been filed lately against football teams over players’ brain injuries. If the legal system handles these lawsuits in line with the principles it applies to other mass torts, organized football could either go away or be transformed into a very different game. The Chicago Tribune editorializes on the subject and quotes me.

Filed under: football

Call me a gold digger? You’ll pay for that

Because the best way to show that it’s Not About the Money is to ask for $200 million [TMZ]

Filed under: celebrities, divorce, football, not about the money

“The most plausible route to the death of football…”

“…starts with liability suits.” As concussion suits mount, will broadcast networks and high school referees need to worry about being named as defendants along with team franchises, schools, helmet manufacturers and other more obvious defendants? [Tyler Cowen and Kevin Grier, Grantland, via Ilya Somin] More: Miller (“I think these cases are going nowhere.”)

Filed under: football, sports

Notre Dame to Kansas high school: drop that fighting leprechaun logo

“Chapman High School, whose athletics teams have been known as the Fighting Irish since 1967, has been formally asked by the University of Notre Dame to change its leprechaun logo due to the college’s trademark on the image.” [Yardbarker]

Filed under: football, trademarks

Philadelphia: “Injured fan sues Eagles”

While a player “was having a catch with fans in the stands,” one of the fans had an inaccurate throw and injured a bystander. Clearly time to crack down on — if not ban entirely? — such playful throwing sessions. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Filed under: football

Ereck Plancher verdict

Following a battle of the medical experts, a jury tells the UCF Athletics Association to pay $10 million in the death of a student player who “collapsed and died following offseason conditioning drills at the UCF football complex.” [Chicago Tribune]

Filed under: expert witnesses, Florida, football

“Ex-Colts cheerleader sues team over nude body-paint photos”

“A former Indianapolis Colts cheerleader is suing the organization, claiming they discriminated against her when they fired her for posing in risqué photographs.” [Indianapolis Star]

Filed under: cheerleading, football, Indiana

Court: ADA requires captioning stadium music

“Music blasted over the public address system during Washington Redskins games is part of the entertainment experience, and deaf fans should have access to the lyrics of those songs, a federal appeals court has ruled.” [Leigh Jones, National Law Journal]

Filed under: disabled rights, football, music and musicians