Maritime Law: Course Details, Eligibility, Syllabus, Exams, Jobs & Salary

Maritime Law deals with issues/ disputes that happen on open water, related to Government or Private Business. One who aspires to make a career in Maritime Law, has to learn all the skills and subjects pertaining to the law including Safety & Security Law, Labour Law, PIL, Trade Law, Shipping/ Carriage Law, and much more. Read below to know details of Maritime Law courses, eligibility, career scope, skills and job opportunities. 

What is Maritime Law?

Maritime Law is a specialization that is mostly offered at the master’s level. In India, LLM in Maritime law is offered by colleges like NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad NLU New Delhi, GNLU Gandhinagar, Symbiosis Law School, etc. The Maritime Law course teaches the candidates about laws that govern the sea and coastal areas of a country. Candidates who wish to acquire specialized knowledge about shipping law and related matters can take up this course.

In the Maritime Law course, candidates learn laws related to the international sale of goods, national maritime law, legislation drafting, environmental laws, piracy, maritime insurance, laws governing the carriages of various goods that take place through the sea and the law of contracts.

Maritime law is a very specialized field that only covers seas, ocean and water borders-related issues of a nation. To take admission to this course, candidates must have a UG degree like LLB/ BA LLB/ BBA LLB from a recognized university of India.

Eligibility Criteria for Maritime Law

To take admission in this law specialization that is offered at the PG level, candidates must have a UG law degree. The degree must be obtained from a recognized institute in India. In the qualifying exam, candidates must have at least 50% marks.

Some colleges, like NALSAR Hyderabad, offer PG diploma in Advanced Maritime Law. For such course, the eligibility is a Bachelor’s Degree or an equivalent Degree in any discipline from any recognized University or completion of three years of the 5-year integrated LLB Degree programme in Law.

Entrance Exams for Maritime Law Course 

Some of the top entrance exams that can be attempted to qualify and secure a seat in Maritime Law courses are as under:

• SLS AIAT
• CLAT
• LSAT India

Check the complete list of law entrance exams in India.  

Skillsets for Maritime Law

Candidates who want to pursue Maritime Law need to be confident and extremely good with written and oral communication. Some key skills that an aspirant should possess in order to be successful in the field of Maritime Law are listed below:

Course Curriculum for Maritime Law

While the syllabus for the Maritime Law course varies from college to college, here are some basic areas that are covered by almost all institutes:

Top Institutes for Maritime Law

Some of the top institutes for maritime law include the following:

Top Job Profiles for Maritime Law 

Candidates who study maritime law can choose any of the following job profiles to have a career:

• Legal Counsel
• Maritime Law Advocate
• Legal Advisor of Maritime Law

Candidates can find employment in areas like Ship Owning Companies, Insurance Companies, Law Firms, Port Authorities, Private and Public dealings in Maritime transportation, etc.

Top Recruiters for Maritime Law

Some of the top recruiters for Maritime Law are as follows:

• International Maritime Organization
• AP Moller- Maersk Group
• Eastern Pacific Shipping Limited
• Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

Also Read: Career in Law