Top LL.M. Programs for Maritime/Admiralty Law 2024

Home to a sizable port, the city of Swansea has long had a connection to the sea. This relationship has also been embraced by the school, which has a strong reputation for maritime law and hosts the Institute for International Shipping and Trade Law. The school offers an LL.M. in International Maritime Law, plus one in International Commercial and Maritime Law.

Founded in 1982, the school’s Institute of Maritime Law explores various research topics in the field. Students pursuing the schools highly-regarded LL.M. in Maritime Law study near one of the United Kingdom’s biggest ports.

Even though in the US there are very few LL.M.s in Maritime Law—Tulane is one of only a handful of law schools in the country offering an LL.M. in Admiralty—lack of competition doesn’t mean that it’s subpar. On the contrary, the school’s LL.M. in Admiralty is highly-regarded, in the US and internationally. The school also runs the Maritime Law Center and offers a specialized JD program in Admiralty.

NUS’ Centre for Maritime Law—one of the few maritime law research centers in the Asia-Pacific region—puts on relevant events and publishes research. LL.M. students can pursue a concentration in Maritime Law; Singapore, one of the world’s busiest shipping hubs, is a great place to study for those with interest in the field.

Students looking to study maritime law in Scandinavia can choose Oslo’s LL.M. in Maritime Law, which addresses a range of topics, such as shipping law, attacks on vessels, and the effects of the global financial situation on the shipping industry. The school hosts the Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law, which has been fostering expertise in the space since 1963.

Situated along an active shipping lane, Cape Town is a great place for LL.M. students to see how maritime law works in the real world. The school also hosts the Institute of Marine & Environmental Law, which produces relevant research and teaches courses on the school’s LL.M. in Marine & Environmental Law.

Established in 1988 under the auspices of a specialized agency of the United Nations, the IMLI serves as a research and training hub for maritime law. While at first, IMLI's LL.M. in International Maritime Institute was designed for those from developing countries, it has evolved to help students from all over the world specialize in Maritime law. The LL.M. covers topics in shipping, public international law, international organizations, and more.

Located in Halifax—one of Canada’s biggest port cities—Dalhousie runs the Marine & Environmental Law Institute, which has carved out a research niche in maritime law. Although the school doesn’t offer a specialized LL.M. in Maritime Law, interested students can pursue a range of electives in both marine and environmental law.

Students interested in the field can study City’s Maritime Law LL.M. The school administers the London Universities Maritime Law and Policy Research Group, and faculty produce research in maritime law.

The school offers an LL.M. specialization in Ocean Law and Policy, which is supported by the university’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. Along with several other schools at the university, the Richardson School of Law has established the Center of Island Climate Adaptation and Policy, which publishes relevant research and puts on events.