Featured below is an interview with Texas Tech University Assistant Professor Katie Brown, PhD, a member of the Sports and Recreation Law Association.
Dr. Brown, a member in the faculty of the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, received her Bachelor’s in Sport Management from Texas A&M University and went on to work in the sport hospitality business for years. After going back to school and getting her Master’s in Athletic Administration from Troy University, she then pursued her PhD in Kinesiology with a focus on Sport Management at Texas A&M University.
Dr. Brown’s research training and expertise focuses on brand management and trademark law, with a background in sport economics and sport marketing as well. She has published multiple articles that intertwine her research areas, as well as book chapters regarding legal terminology for exercise physiology students.
Her interview follows below.
Question: How did your interest in sports law come about?
Answer: I became a sport management major in my junior year of college and one of the classes I had was Legal Aspects of Sport ,which was taught by Dr. Paul Batista at Texas A&M University. This was the first class in college where I could not consume enough content – I was fascinated by the law, the cases we discussed, and it taught me to not just give my opinion but to back it up with a legal argument. I had always wanted to get a law degree, but realized I did not actually want to be a practicing attorney. So, years after graduating, I went for my master’s at Troy University where my advisor/mentor Dr. Michael Carroll reignited my love for sports law and encouraged me to pursue a PhD with a focus in legal issues. I returned years later to Texas A&M for a PhD and Dr. Batista had me present at the Sport and Recreation Law Association (SRLA) conference. Being in a space where everyone was excited to talk about sports law and current legal issues was fascinating and it encouraged me to continue my research and teaching of sports law.
Question: What person (or persons) was responsible for helping you achieve the goal of being a sports law professor?
Answer: Dr. Natasha Brison mentored me throughout our time together while I was a PhD student and was instrumental in teaching me how to do research I am interested in and love, how to teach sport law in a way that students can relate to, and she was instrumental in prepping me for the job market. Dr. Andy Pittman also shared his love of teaching law, especially in presentations, and it helped me see how you could have fun teaching a course that many students are afraid to take.
Question: What areas of sports law most interest you?
Answer: Anything intellectual property related always catches my attention!
Question: What trends are you following in 2024?
Answer: I am curious to see how more brands navigate intellectual property challenges in the metaverse, and the limits on parody defenses to trademark claims.
Question: What’s the best part of being a member of SRLA?
Answer: Honestly, this community has accepted me from day one and that has been an amazing feeling. It’s a community of people who share a love of sports law but also of learning from one another, which I think is such a bright spot in academia. There is so much support here from senior faculty to junior faculty to students, and I’m excited to see it continue to grow.
