Harbaugh v. Big Ten alumni amicus brief: call for signatures

by Rushing McCarl LLP Nov. 12, 2023

The law firm Rushing McCarl LLP, in partnership with local counsel, is writing a pro bono amicus brief supporting the University of Michigan’s efforts to block the Big Ten’s suspension of Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. We believe the suspension violates Big Ten rules while endangering the Wolverines’ pursuit of a Big Ten title and national championship.

Amicus briefs are submitted by nonparties whose point of view could be helpful to the court. This brief is a grassroots, fan-driven effort intended to share the perspective of Michigan alumni who love the football program. Its author is the California-based litigation firm Rushing McCarl LLP, which was co-founded by Michigan alum Ryan McCarl. The brief will be co-signed by many other alumni who choose to add their names to the brief. (We acquired over 100 signatures within 30 minutes of announcing the brief, so we’re expecting hundreds or even thousands of alumni to sign on.)

Michigan sports programs help alumni across the world come together and stay connected with the university, so we should have our voices heard in this lawsuit. Our brief will help the court understand why Michigan athletics are so important to so many people. Important interests are at stake: Michigan’s concerns about the Harbaugh suspension can’t be brushed away as involving “just sports,” “just a few games,” or “just one coach.” Coach Harbaugh should be on the sidelines when Michigan collects its 1,000th program win and defeats Ohio State for the third straight year en route to another Big Ten title.

If you’re a degree-receiving U of M alum interested in signing on as a supporter of the brief, please fill out this form: http://bit.ly/harbaughbrief. You can contact the attorneys writing the brief by emailing goblue[at]stun-call.weavers-web.com (though we cannot respond to every email).

If you’d like to see an example of an amicus brief drafted by Rushing McCarl, see this brief we filed in a caste discrimination case. Note the list of “additional signatories” at the end. We’re asking interested alumni to add their names, degrees, and class years as additional signatories to the amicus brief we’ll be filing in the Harbaugh v. Big Ten lawsuit.

Although we have to limit the signatories to degree-earning alumni for logistical and strategic reasons, anyone can support our effort by spreading the word and sharing the link to the signup form (http://bit.ly/harbaughbrief). Go Blue!

Photo credit: Joshua Hubbard on Unsplash