Welcome to Midwest Maritime Lawyer! This publication is moored on a straightforward principle: admiralty and maritime law matters in the Midwest. By its very design, maritime law is universal, setting to apply a uniform legal regime to issues involving the navigable waterways of the United States. Geography dictates that these issues will arise most often in coastal regions. But a coastal-centric understanding of maritime law can distract businesses, individuals, and even some attorneys from its general applicability.
A substantial network of maritime commerce exists within the U.S. interior, most notably on the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, but also through the many other interstate and international waterways embedded throughout the Midwest. And as experienced maritime lawyers understand, focusing solely on “maritime commerce” itself can distract some from its applicability because admiralty and maritime law can apply in countless scenarios only tangentially related to commercial activity.
In the September 2021 issue of the Bench & Bar of Minnesota, I wrote an article titled “Maritime Law? In Minnesota? Yes,” which addressed some of these issues through the navigable waters in and around Minnesota. While focused on one state, and only on issues involving maritime injuries, that article helps explain why maritime law matters in the Midwest. You can read that article here: BENCH & BAR OF MINNESOTA ARTICLE. But that is only some background. With Midwest Maritime Lawyer, our writers will be identifying and explaining the latest maritime law issues, with a focus on their application in and around the navigable waterways throughout the Midwest. We’re excited to have you join us on this voyage.
– Vince C. Reuter