As high school students end their winter sports schedules and spring sports participants begin play across the country, the role and significance of agents and their use by amateur athletes as they prepare for possible selection in the upcoming Major League Baseball (MLB) amateur draft and the NHL Entry Draft is once again front and … Continue Reading
In these days of “extreme vetting,” entering the United States as a business visitor (B visa or Visa Waiver status, with an ESTA approval) can have its hazards – especially for athletes who need to enter the United States quickly and have no time to spare. [Link to blog on extreme vetting: http://www.globalimmigrationblog.com/2017/05/state-department-proposes-supplemental-questions-for-visa-applicants/ ] Earlier this … Continue Reading
Former NHL player Kevin Stevens avoided a federal prison sentence following a hearing this week in U.S. District Court in Boston. Stevens, who played in the NHL for 16 years (1987-2002), including parts of 11 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, also starred at Boston College and for the 1988 U.S. Olympic team. In the early … Continue Reading
Major League Baseball has asked a California federal court to dismiss a proposed class action claim that accuses the league of failing to sufficiently protect spectators with safety netting. Brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Gail Payne et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball et al., 4:15-cv-03229, … Continue Reading
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed new guidance for adjudicating O-1 visa petitions for athletes and other individuals of extraordinary ability in certain fields. If the proposal becomes effective, athletes will have greater flexibility in satisfying the O-1 visa criteria. Under current USCIS regulations, an athlete may qualify for an O-1 visa … Continue Reading
The Uniform Law Commission (ULC) has approved significant changes to the Uniform Athlete Agents Act (UAA) at its recent annual meeting. The UAA, first adopted in 2000, has been enacted in 40 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Laws similar to the UAA have been enacted by several … Continue Reading
In 2014, opening day rosters in the National Basketball Association listed 101 players born outside the United States, Major League Baseball boasted 224 players from countries such as Japan, Korea, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan, Cuba, and Mexico, not to mention the many players from other countries in the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, and … Continue Reading
Ten former players have filed a class action lawsuit against the National Hockey League over injuries caused by concussions sustained during their professional careers. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington D.C., comes six months after another civil action in May accused the NHL of failing to warn former player/enforcer Derek Boogard about the … Continue Reading
The National Hockey League (NHL) season did not start as scheduled on October 11, 2012, because of ongoing labor contract negotiations and the league’s decision to lockout its players. The NHL rekindled hope for a 2012-2013 season when it made an unexpected counter-proposal to the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) and its players. The League’s latest proposal … Continue Reading
The Jackson Lewis Collegiate and Professional Sports Industry Group will be a featured participant at Arizona State’s 2nd Sports and Entertainment Law Conference. The full details of the conference are posted below. What: Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law’s 2nd Annual Conference on Sports and Entertainment Law When: Saturday, November 5, 2011 (9 a.m. – 5 … Continue Reading
Consider the dilemma of a newly drafted NHL hockey player from Canada. After signing his Standard Player Contract, obtaining his P visa, and loading up his gear and heading to the border with his long-time girlfriend to begin training camp, both are stopped at the border. The immigration officer questioned the girlfriend’s intention to travel … Continue Reading
