Description

This course is a survey of the most litigated maritime issues. Mr. Edelman begins with the Jones Act, which gives officers and members of the crew of a vessel the right to sue for negligence, and concludes with the Staten Island Ferry incident.

Paul S. Edelman

Paul S. Edelman graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He is a recognized authority in maritime law, as well as aviation law and federal practice and his writings have been quoted in decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court and other courts.

He is the author of Maritime Injury and Death, Personal Injury of Maritime Personnel, 17 Causes of Action, Second (West Publishing Co.), Editor-in-Chief of the Maritime Law Reporter, Editor of Marine Laws, admiralty columnist for the New York Law Journal for many years, former Editor and now Co-Editor of the New York State Bar TICL JOURNAL also for many years. He has been an adviser on maritime laws to the U.S. State Department and has participated in three law seminars in Russia. He has been a contributor to many law journals, as well as other publications and participated in law seminars throughout the U.S. and other countries. He was the legal adviser on the ANDREA DORIA television production.

He has been involved in major sea disasters throughout his career, with multi-million dollar recoveries, not only for cruise passengers and waterfront workers, but also for U.S. seamen and many foreign seamen as well. He has had a major part in other accident case recoveries, including the successful suit for the death of pop star Jim Croce, killed in a small plane crash and recoveries for other notable personalities.


Cases include major ship sinkings: RIO GRANDE; AMERICAN EAGLE; the OKLAHOMA, the loss of a timber ship, settled for $15 million; the Kuwaiti oil tanker explosion; Fanuko, another ship explosion; the OCEAN RANGER oil rig disaster, and the loss of TEXAS TOWER 4, a radar station off Coney Island, New York; the QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 class action (1994) and many other notable losses at sea. In Hygrade Operators v. Clifford, there was a recovery in a limitation of liability case where the judge denied limiting liability and the jury awarded damages. He was most recently involved with the Staten Island ferry boat disaster in 2003.

He has been Chairman of the Admiralty Committee of ATLA (1968-1970) and of the TIPS Section of the ABA. He was Chairman of the TIPS-ABA Toxic Tort Committee and a member of the TIPS-ABA council. He has been on various committees of the Maritime Law Association and World Peace Through Law (now International Jurists) Center. He is a fellow of the New York Bar Foundation. He has been interviewed many times on radio, television and in newspaper articles.

He has been to Russia on three occasions, representing the American Bar Association and Maritime Law Association at different times.

Mr. Edleman was a partner at Kreindler & Kreindler for many years and is now counsel to the firm.