TOLEDO, OH — Shumaker lawyer Bob Boland has been named a 2023 Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Award winner by the Burton Awards for his article entitled “The NFL's Problems with Women: Why They Matter.” The Burton Awards are a national nonprofit program run in association with the Library of Congress, presented by lead sponsor Law360, and co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. This honor is given to only 25 articles from entries submitted by the nation’s 1,000 largest law firms.
“It is an honor to be recognized by such prestigious organizations. Writing articles has been and will continue to be a priority for me to ensure that our clients have the best insight and knowledge about the issues most relevant to their organizations,” said Bob.
With over 25 years of specialized experience, Bob is a dedicated attorney whose passion for sports shines through his work. His practice centers on collegiate and professional sports, including name, image, and likeness (NIL), higher educational investigations, and professional sports labor matters, where he helps clients navigate the often-confusing web of rules and various state and federal laws.
The article for which he is recognized dealt with challenging governance issues in the National Football League; one of a number of subjects where Bob’s sports law expertise is also widely sought by a variety of media outlets. He has recently appeared on or been quoted by ABC, CNN, Sports Illustrated, MSNBC.com, The Associated Press, USA Today, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to his association with Shumaker, Bob is a member of the faculty at Seton Hall University Law School.
Shumaker’s Sports Law Practice represents NCAA member institutions; conferences; NGBs; coaches, administrators, commissioners, and other sports executives; athletes; and university athletic departments. The scope of work on behalf of sports industry clients includes contract preparation and negotiation, crisis management, employment law, workplace investigations, policy development and review, employee and staff training, tax advice (including for nonprofits), deferred compensation, intellectual property (NIL), and litigation. The Sports Law Team has a wealth of experience and insight regarding external investigations, audits, and post-audit corrective actions to ensure compliance with the U.S. Center for SafeSport and other governing bodies.