Admiralty & Maritime Law (Part 1): Admiralty Jurisdiction, General Maritime Law, and Available Forums

Maritime law is one of the oldest bodies of law.  Although its exact origins are unknown, there is evidence for the existence of substantive maritime law as early as 300 B.C. and 100 A.D. in Rhodes and Rome, respectively. In addition, admiralty and maritime law is a broad body of law that covers nearly everything pertaining to commerce on navigable waters. In essence, maritime lawyers are some of the last great generalists as nearly everything that happens on land can happen on navigable waters or covered vessels, from personal injury to contract disputes, worker’s compensation claims, collisions, and pollution incidents. 

Join Royston Rayzor attorney Rachel A. de Cordova, a partner in Royston’s maritime practice group, for this fascinating program, beginning with a discussion of the history and creation of U.S. admiralty law and how U.S. maritime law applies today. Ms. Cordova also addresses the available forums for maritime lawsuits, including the federal admiralty docket, the civil side of federal court, and state court.

This program is an excellent primer on admiralty jurisdiction, the resulting application of general maritime law, and the available forums for maritime disputes.

Learning Objectives:

I.    Grasp the creation and foundation for federal admiralty jurisdiction

II.   Recognize plaintiffs’ options to file in State or Federal court

III.  Identify when admiralty jurisdiction applies