As scientific knowledge about the effects of trauma on the brain has increased, the legal context surrounding brain injury in professional and youth sports has changed dramatically over the past decade. Legal action includes multiple federal class action lawsuits, new sports concussion statutes in all fifty states, new regulations in college and high school, new insurance markets, and a myriad of tort law suits in state and federal court. Many policy recommendations have been proposed, and many reforms have been enacted by sports leagues. The evolving legal landscape for sports concussions thus provides an exciting opportunity to see how law responds in response to scientific advances. This seminar—the first in the country to focus specifically on legal liability and sports concussions—will examine the emerging science, law, and policy of sports concussions. The seminar will feature a number of guest speakers, and will place an emphasis on developing students’ legal research and writing skills. Students will be required to complete a 20 page research paper, and no prior knowledge of brain science or sports is required or presumed.Â
