Sports Law Resources: Home

The purpose of this research guide is to assist those interested in researching American Sports Law.  The guide provides an overview of Sports Law materials in the Marquette University Eckstein Law Library collection and, as a supplement to the collection, online resources.  Neither the guide nor the resources are meant to be an exhaustive bibliography of Sports Law.  Rather, the contents of this guide are intended to aid the researcher in locating materials on various subjects relevant to Sports Law generally.  For International Sports Law resources, please see the Research Guide entitled "International Sports Law Research Guide" on the Eckstein Law Library website.  

Sports Law issues can involve many specific legal subjects like Contracts, Agency, Antitrust, Torts, Taxation, Labor and Employment, Liability, Municipal Law, Defamation, Worker's Compensation, Criminal Liability, Civil Rights, International Law, Discrimination, Intellectual Property, and School Law.  Issues can also arise from either professional or amateur sports.  Materials related to outdoor recreational sports are also included where appropriate. The International Encyclopedia for Sports Law includes a monograph on sports law in the USA that provides a good overview of legal topics related to sports.  Researchers may also note that Entertainment Law is often combined with Sports Law in some resources. 

The organization of this guide follows from the description of Sports Law in the preceding paragraph.  Links to relevant statutes and regulations are included as are suggested methods to search for case law. Also included are links to associations which may govern a sport.  Federal and state resources are supplemented with additional information on books, dictionaries and encyclopedias, periodicals, and treatises found in the Law Library.  Online tools such as websites and major databases are highlighted as well. 

Besides the resources mentioned here, the National Sports Law Institute (NSLI) at Marquette University Law School hosts a Sports Law Research website with extensive links to resources also organized by category.