With the ocean in your backyard, students have a unique opportunity to learn from renowned faculty and local maritime legal experts and benefit from our strategic location in Miami. As one of four programs of its kind in the country and the only one in the state of Florida, Miami opens the door geographically to such a wide variety of externship opportunities both within and outside of the government. It is the ideal setting to dive into this niche career.
Who Should Consider This Degree?
Practicing U.S. attorneys who wish to better prepare to address emerging and novel issues in this area.
Current Miami Law students looking to specialize in maritime law.
Visiting students from other law schools can take this LLM while completing their JD at their home law school.
Foreign-trained attorneys looking for expertise in maritime law and/or sit for the New York bar exam; there is also an Intensive Legal English + LLM for those who need to improve proficiency.
Miami is the ideal location to study Maritime Law. It is a major hub for imports and exports and the global headquarters of Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Also, PortMiami, the busiest cruise port in the world, is minutes away from our campus. Our location gives students unique proximity to nearby environments and research facilities, including:
The National Hurricane Center
The Caribbean Sea
The beginning of the Gulf Stream
The only coral reef ecosystem in the U.S.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories (NOAA)
Students in the past have been selected for externship placements at: Svitzer, Carnival Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean International. In addition, students have had placements at the nearby Coast Guard 7th District Headquarters which is about 8 miles from campus. It is responsible for Coast Guard activities throughout a 1.7 million square mile area including Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and 34 foreign nations and territories. Many graduates of our Maritime Law program have worked at the 7th District.
Graduates of our program consistently attribute their professional success to the network, career opportunities, and knowledge they secured during their time in this LLM program. A career advisor with special training assists LLM students with their job search, including resume writing and interviewing skills.
“The idea that I could complete all of the required credits for my JD and get the LLM in maritime law within the Coast Guard’s three-year requirement almost seemed too good to be true. In my time at UM, I came across some of the greatest people I have ever known. Professors, staff, and students, everyone was always incredibly helpful and welcoming.”
Tanner Stiehl, JD/LLM ‘21 Staff Attorney, U.S. Coast Guard 7th District Miami, FL
"I realized that the impact of what I was doing on the ocean depended heavily on what happens in the courtroom…If the attorney does not have a strong case, the smugglers are just going back to trafficking, and we do it all over again. I wanted to be a part of the process at the next level."
Brian Sattler, JD/LLM ‘16 Strategic Planner for the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC
“My experience at Miami Law has only been positive and rewarding. I can attribute the contacts I have made in the maritime law field to the guidance and support I have received from Miami Law’s faculty, and of course, being situated in Miami.”
Danielle Gauer, LLM ‘16 Of Counsel, Wilson Elser Miami, FL
