Last week, a judge ordered the lawyers involved in Ed O'Bannon's class-action lawsuit to proceed towards a trial date set for June 9 after months of delays and will last 19 days. This week, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken referred the case to a settlement conference that will be held "as soon as it is convenient."
This may seem like a major development is on the horizon, but don't count on it.
The odds of a settlement conference actually being productive are unlikely according to Michael Hausfeld, who represents the O'Bannon plaintiffs.
"There has been no serious expression of interest by the NCAA in resolving the antitrust exposure," said Michael Hausfeld, a lead attorney for the O'Bannon plaintiffs. "Given their past and recent expression, it appears highly improbable that they would engage in any rational dialogue."
