Entertainment & Sports Law

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

Money and litigation tangle with recent rules for college athletes’ NIL deals

Student-athletes, colleges and private collectives are facing legal complexities in the race to sign up star players with promises of lucrative name, image and likeness agreements.

Oct 1, 2024 1:20 AM CDT

9th Circuit allows 2 transgender girls to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity

A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that two transgender girls in Arizona should be allowed to play on school sports teams that are consistent with their gender identity.

Sep 12, 2024 11:07 AM CDT

White male law student settles suit against Chicago Bears over ‘legal diversity fellow’ position

A student at the DePaul University College of Law has settled a lawsuit claiming that the Chicago Bears football team refused to consider him for a “legal diversity fellow” position because he is a white man.

Sep 5, 2024 10:36 AM CDT

11th Circuit rules for athletic association that refused to allow pregame prayer over PA system

A federal appeals court has ruled against a private Christian school alleging that its First Amendment rights were violated when the Florida High School Athletic Association rejected its request to broadcast a pregame prayer over the public address system.

Sep 4, 2024 10:09 AM CDT

She made an artwork that excluded men; a man sued for discrimination

At the Ladies Lounge of Australia’s Museum of Old and New Art on the island of Tasmania, only one man is allowed inside: a butler, who serves the women, according to Kirsha Kaechele, the American artist who designed the lounge. On Tuesday, one of those excluded men argued before an Australian tribunal that the lounge violated anti-discrimination laws by keeping him and the rest of his gender out.

Jul 19, 2024 7:50 AM CDT

Record labels sue two startups for training AI models on their songs

The world’s biggest record labels are suing two artificial intelligence startups, taking an aggressive stance to protect their intellectual property against technology that makes it easy for people to generate music based on existing songs.

Jun 24, 2024 3:00 PM CDT

The chaos unfolding at Young Thug’s trial, explained

An unwieldy RICO trial that could see Young Thug imprisoned for decades on gang charges veered toward chaos this week, when the rapper’s attorney was held in contempt of court and ordered to jail after suggesting that the judge and prosecutors pressured a key witness.

Jun 13, 2024 11:00 AM CDT

Woman who says she inspired ‘Baby Reindeer’ is suing Netflix for $170M

A woman who says she was identified online as the basis for the character of a stalker in the popular Netflix series Baby Reindeer is suing the streamer and the show’s creator. She is seeking $170 million over a portrayal she says was inaccurate and distressing.

Jun 7, 2024 1:00 PM CDT