Brady V. National Football League Case Study

Robert Lyons

October 22, 2016

Admin & Personnel Law GBA-355

Style of Case

Brady v. National Football League

The United States Court of Appeals,

Eighth Circuit 640 F.3d 785

Facts: As a result of the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL players and the NFL League, the League imposed a "lockout" of NFL players. The players, which consisted of nine professional football players and one prospective player, named as the plaintiffs, terminated the NFLPA's status as their collective bargaining agent and filed a preliminary injunction. The injunction alleged that the "lockout" would violate the federal antitrust laws and state contract and tort law. The United States District Court for the District of Minnesota issued the injunction that prohibits, the

No. 34, at 9 (Mem. At 1) (emphasis in original).)

Before this Court may address whether a preliminary injunction is warranted, it must first address the NFL's argument that the Norris-LaGuardia Act precludes any injunctive relief here, as well as its argument that the Court should defer this matter, or at least a portion of it, to the National Labor Relations Board under the doctrine of primary jurisdiction— issues that the NFL contends are jurisdictional. (Id. at 9-10, 36 (Mem. at 1-2, 28) (characterizing these two issues as "jurisdictional").

Holding: The district court ruled that the Norris-LaGuardia Act does not apply here and that it had jurisdiction to enjoin the lockout. The court determined that the Players had demonstrated that they were suffering, and would continue to suffer, irreparable harm as a result of the lockout, that the harm to the Players outweighed any harm an injunction would cause the NFL, and that the Players had a fair chance of success on the merits of their