Honoring Harvard Law School Professor Paul Weiler

Harvard Law School professor Paul Weiler is considered by many to be the founder of American sports law and the most distinguished sports law professor around. A renowned expert in many legal fields, including labor law and entertainment law, his extraordinary legacy in sports law is the focus of this post.

From a pedagogical perspective, Professor Weiler's sports law course at Harvard Law School has been crucial in turning our favorite area of the law into a respected and legitimate field. Even more impressive, Professor Weiler has been a wonderful mentor to so many students and former students, including me. He is always available to provide advice and guidance, and his friendship is invaluable.

Professor Weiler's scholarship has also been essential to the creation and growth of sports law. He is the co-author of perhaps the leading sports law case book with Gary Roberts, "Sports and the Law: Text, Cases, and Problems" as well as many influential books and law review articles, including "Leveling the Playing Field: How the Law can Make Sports Better for Fans," which the New York Times Book Review called "a provocative book that combines the broad knowledge of an all-seasons sports fan with the clarity of an antitrust lawyer."

Beyond his teaching and writing, Professor Weiler has been a noted public advocate for sports law. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and met with various political leaders in Canada, his home country. Given the trust that so many influential persons have placed in Professor Weiler, it's not surprising that the late Boston Globe columnist Will McDonough once said, "When it comes to sports law, Paul Weiler knows the answer before you ask the question."

Tonight, Harvard Law School will honor Professor Weiler, who has taught there since 1979. I am honored to be participating in this great event, which will feature a keynote address from Peter Gammons and the following schedule:

The Rules of the Game:

The Winning Effect of Paul Weiler

Friday April 27, 2007

3:45 to 5:00 Panel (Austin West): "Rules of the Game: The Winning Effect of Paul Weiler"

Roger Abrams
Professor and Former Dean of Northeastern University School of Law

Stuart Brotman
President of Stuart N. Brotman Communications

Peter Carfagna
Lecturer on Law and Covington and Burling Distinguished Scholar at Harvard Law School

Michael Curley
Partner in the Labor and Employment Law Department of Morgan Lewis in New York City

Donald Fehr
Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players' Association

Rick Horrow
CEO of Horrow Sports Ventures

Rob Manfred
Executive Vice President of Labor Relations & Human Resources at Major League Baseball

Jeffrey Pash
Executive Vice President of the National Football League

5:30 Reception (Caspersen Room in Langdell Hall)

6:30 Dinner (Caspersen Room in Langdell Hall): Keynote speakers:

Elena Kagan
Dean of Harvard Law School

Peter Gammons
Baseball Commentator on ESPN

Other speakers:

Stephen Greyser
Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, at the Harvard Business School

Joseph Weiler
Professor of Law at the University of British Columbia

Robert Weiler
Attorney

Please contact Professor Weiler's assistant, Susan Smith, with any questions. It should be a great event.

Update: See Professor Weiler's new blog, which includes a post on the event and one on an interview with his family. You can also see tons of great photos from the event.

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