In case you did not know, Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States. If she is confirmed by Congress, Judge Sotomayor will become the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice in the history of the U.S. The confirmation hearings have been publicized by every major media outlet, and while her potential confirmation is a subject of politics, sports has found its way to be involved, as well.
Michael McCann is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Vermont, and he is one of the most respected Sports Law Scholars in the country. He was also a panelist at the 2009 UF Sports Law Symposium and has confirmed that he will be coming back for the 2010 Symposium. In McCann’s latest law review note, he looked at whether Judge Sotomayor deserves the criticism she has received as of late, concerning her proclivity to craft opinions based on policy and a progressive agenda other than adherence to actual law. Based on looking at a couple of sports-related cases, he posits that based on Judge Sotomayor’s stance in those two issues had nothing to do with compassion, and in fact, if anything, she was devoid of compassion. McCann looks at the following cases in his note:
- Silverman v. Major League Baseball Player Relations Committee
- Clarett v. NFL
Download McCann’s essay here: Judge Sonia Sotomayor and the Relationship between Leagues and Players: Insightsand Implications.