The lawsuit filed by the NFLPA on behalf of three of the players suspended for alleged involvement in the Saints bounty program has been flagged for illegal procedure.
According to Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal, the federal court in Louisiana has denied applications for admission filed on behalf of lawyers who aren’t already licensed to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
As Kaplan points out, it’s a small, technical issue, which easily can be remedied by filling out the paperwork properly. The lawyers simply failed to properly dot the i’s and cross the t’s. “Counsel are encouraged to track the exact language of the local rule, if otherwise accurate, in any resubmitted motion,” the court order says, per Kaplan.
And while the problem easily can be fixed, the deeper issue is whether the lawyers will miss details that could, eventually, create a bigger problem. Also, making an unfavorable first impression on court personnel can have a lasting impact as the litigation unfolds.
Look for the lawyers to move quickly to rectify the situation, since the first goal will be to try to obtain an order blocking the suspensions pending the outcome of the litigation.