Admiralty Law
LAW 687 | 3 Hours
This course will provide an overview of the general maritime law of the United States, the (largely) federal body of law that governs the movement of people and goods on the navigable waters of the U.S., as well as the seas and oceans used in global commerce. Starting point will be the historic roots of maritime law, incorporated and embodied into Article III of the Constitution. This leads into discussion of jurisdictional issues – state and federal – and the unique admiralty procedural devices available to litigants in federal courts. Topics will include maritime personal injury and death, including the claims and remedies available to marine workers and seafarers. We will consider the commercial aspects of maritime law: Carriage of goods, collision, towage, salvage, maritime liens, limitation of liability and marine insurance. The course instructors are practicing attorneys, so the focus will tend to land on pragmatic realities of maritime law in various contexts (litigation, contractual matters, regulatory regimes, etc.).