Young Lawyers WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE: LAWYERS

young lawyers Jason C. Pizatella Chairperson Young Lawyers Section The West Virginia State Bar WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE: LAWYERS INVOLVED IN SPORTS At the recently concluded State involved in two sports that I liked topics that are taught in tradition- Bar Annual Meeting, a woman but no longer played. I found that al “sports law” classes that include asked me a question that I’m sure it also made for an interesting many areas of law with general almost all of us have been asked conversation piece. Case in point, application outside sports such at one point: “Did you always the same colleague who asked if as contract negotiation and draft- want to be a lawyer?” After a I always wanted to be a lawyer ing, antitrust, labor, intellectual brief pause, I explained to her followed up by, after hearing this property, anti-discrimination, etc. that long before I decided to go story, inquiring as to how the skill Rather, my goal here in this abbre- to law school, my dream was set we possess as lawyers translated viated space is to simply highlight to one day be the commissioner into sports officiating. some “big-time” names in sports of Major League Baseball. But The answer was easy, if not who have also made their living I quickly realized that, despite a overly simplistic. In most sports in the law. persistent letter-writing campaign you have two teams who are Mike Florio to Commissioner Allan “Bud” adverse to each other with each A native of Wheeling, W.Va., Selig’s office, it was unlikely that team trying to “win.” There is Mike Florio is the editor and America’s pastime would ever one set of rules to follow, and at primary contributor of need my services. the end of the game one team Profootballtalk.com, a news and And just like the vast majority leaves unhappy. Sound familiar? rumor website affiliated with NBC of high school student-athletes, I Lawyers, mediators, judges, etc. Sports that is devoted to covering did not possess the skills necessary all face the same set of circum- the NFL. Florio is a 1991 gradu- to play at the next level. With my stances on a daily basis but with ate of the West Virginia University eyes already set on attending law much higher stakes. College of Law and practiced labor school, during my second year of Nonetheless, I began my term and employment law for almost college at West Virginia University as chair of the Young Lawyers 20 years in Pittsburgh, Pa., and I decided to start officiating high Executive Committee reflecting Clarksburg, W.Va., before dedi- school baseball and basketball. It on the role of lawyers in sports cating his full-time talents to writ- was a logical way for me to stay generally. I am not referring to the ing about professional football. 16 The West Virginia Lawyer YOUNG LAWYERS Ed Hochuli Dan Bellino Ed Hochuli is one of the most respected referees in Major League Baseball promoted Dan Bellino the NFL, having worked numerous playoff games and to the full-time umpiring staff in 2011 after having two Super Bowls. In his day job, however, Hochuli worked in the minor leagues since 2003. A graduate is a founding partner of the firm Jones, Skelton and of the John Marshall Law School, Bellino previously Hochuli in Phoenix, Ariz. He specializes in civil liti- worked for the personal injury firm of Morici, Figlioli gation and products liability defense. Comparing his & Associates in Chicago, Ill., and served as an aide to law and officiating professions, Hochuli said that “on Judge Charles P. Kocoras in the United States District the football field, people like that I’m in charge and Court for the Northern District of Illinois. know what I’m doing, but a lot of the time, it’s just Finally, a very honorable mention goes to David appearance. I’m going to sell you on my decision. It’s Stern, the commissioner of the National Basketball the same in the courtroom. You don’t stand in front of Association, a Columbia University Law School gradu- a jury and say, ‘I think my client is innocent.’ You say, ate and a member of the bar in New York State, and ‘We’re right!’” Oliver Luck, director of athletics at West Virginia Jay Bilas University, graduate of the University of Texas School Jay Bilas is a former college basketball player for of Law and member of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame. Duke University who helped lead the Blue Devils to I look forward to spending the next year as chair- the Final Four and a national championship in 1986. man of the Young Lawyers Executive Committee and Bilas received his law degree from Duke University encourage you to visit www.wvyounglawyers.com for School of Law in 1992 and is currently of counsel in more information on the services we provide to our the Charlotte, N.C., office of Moore and Van Allen, membership within The West Virginia State Bar. WVL where he focuses on litigation. Bilas is probably better known, however, for working as a college basketball 1 Bommersbach, Jana (June 2007). Zebra Lawyer. Southwest Super analyst for ESPN and CBS Sports. Lawyers 2007: pp. 10–13. April - June 2012 17.

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