Law after USMMA?

[ship123]

Hello all,

I am currently a 3/C at KP and am wondering the avenues to go into maritime law following graduation.
Can I go directly to law school following graduation?
Should I look at sailing first?

Any advice/information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

I am currently a 3/C at KP and am wondering the avenues to go into maritime law following graduation.
Can I go directly to law school following graduation?
Should I look at sailing first?

Just my $.02 -

For background: SNA grad (mid 80's), 7 years active duty after USNA (P3's and Wing Staff), then law school on my own when I was selected as Alternate for Navy' Law Education Program.

I always recommend someone get some real world experience before going to law school. Get out of the academic environment, live a little and gain perspective before going to law school. Some law school courses simply make more sense when you have perspective (ie.I had already bought and sold a home; so property made sense). Getting out and doing something also gives you time to decide that it is really want to do when you grow up...law school is full of 22=25 year olds that went straight from undergrad because they didn't know what else they wanted to do with their degree.

You've got a great opportunity coming out of USMMA ...go sail, see the world. Don't worry about losing time on your peers...the law schools will still be there 7 years from now, and frankly nobody wants to take advice from a 25 year old lawyer anyway. Finally, if you go into Maritime Law, you will have more credibility if you have a few years of sea service under you.

Good luck.

 

[flieger83]

I'll piggyback on OldNavyBGO...a classmate of mine from USAFA always wanted to try "The Law." However, coming out of USAFA...wasn't going to happen for a plethora of reasons. He became a pilot, served 22 years, made O-6 (colonel), and then retired.

And then he went to law school. And not a "late night, on the weekends" law school, but a decent state school in the Midwest.

He said he was older than many of his law professors but they would often seek his comments due to his experience with military law as a military commander, etc. And he did great and graduated.

He practiced for 13 years and then decided to retire.

But as he said, "I got to do what I wanted to do!!"

Right after graduation? Ehh... After you have "real world experience?" Yes.

 

[franknd]

Details are a little vague, but my nephew graduated USMMA around 2015, and I believe he was offered -- but declined -- the opportunity to have law school funded if he pursued maritime law. I recall him talking about this at graduation, that one of his profs had approached him with this "offer." I have no idea what the details were though.

 

[Mr2020]

Hello all,

I am currently a 3/C at KP and am wondering the avenues to go into maritime law following graduation.
Can I go directly to law school following graduation?
Should I look at sailing first?

Any advice/information would be greatly appreciated.

No you can't. If the sailing job market continues the way it is now you definitely can't.

If the sailing market free falls by the time you graduated, which is actually pretty likely, then you may be able to. Basically all depends on what happens in 3 years.

 

[tamarack]

an additional consideration from a first-time poster -- admiralty law is a niche field. having some real-world experience will make you much more competitive for summer internships & in-semester "externships"

 

[KPEngnr90]

Hello all,

I am currently a 3/C at KP and am wondering the avenues to go into maritime law following graduation.
Can I go directly to law school following graduation?
Should I look at sailing first?

Any advice/information would be greatly appreciated.

Tulane is jokingly called Kings Point Law school.

 

[KPEngineer]

Should I look at sailing first?

For your consideration ... I would think you would be a better practitioner of maritime law if you actually sail on your license. In the long run it also may help with business to have an advanced license on your resume in addition to the law license and KP diploma.

 

[KPEngnr90]

Hello all,

I am currently a 3/C at KP and am wondering the avenues to go into maritime law following graduation.
Can I go directly to law school following graduation?
Should I look at sailing first?

Any advice/information would be greatly appreciated.

You should go to sea for a few years and gain some experience to give your maritime law degree some credibility. The few years at sea may also enable you to pay off that law degree without incurring any debt.