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ELIGIBILITY TO SERVE ON STANDING COMMITTEES The right to vote on the business of any Standing Committee does not accrue until 90 days have elapsed from the date that the member joins such Standing Committee. Provided that the limitations pertaining to membership on three-Standing Committees and the time limitations pertaining to voting as stated in this By-Law are observed, Association members are free to join or withdraw from Standing Committees at will. Only a Proctor member or an Adjunct member shall be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors or as a Committee Chair or Vice-Chair of a Standing Committee, Special Board Liaison Committee or Special Committee unless, at the request of the President, the Board of Directors shall waive this requirement. COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS Arbitration & ADR | Reviews current developments in arbitration and mediation in the United States and abroad; analyzes the effect of domestic legislation and international law on arbitration practice; encourages increased utilization of alternative dispute resolution methods in maritime contexts; has proposed mediation guidelines; maintains a close relationship with the Society of Maritime Arbitrators and other arbitral organizations Autonomous Vessels | Reviews, monitors, discusses and reports on legal developments regarding the spectrum of advanced autonomy, autonomous functionality, and smart marine technology on vessels, Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), vehicles, and systems in the maritime and offshore industries. Carriage of Goods | Studies court decisions and regimes of law covering the allocation of risks of cargo at sea and in intermodal transportation, including, e.g., the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, the Rotterdam Rules, Hague Rules, Visby Amendments drafted by the Comité Maritime International, the 1978 Hamburg Rules Convention, as well as various other international agreements and transportation regimes of trading partners of the United States; tracks developments in subjects related to property transport and logistics chains, including utilization of autonomous carriage systems, bills of lading, letters of indemnity, e-commerce, and detention and demurrage considerations; with publication of a newsletter on current developments. Cruise Lines | Provides a forum for those involved in all aspects of this industry; reviews developments and challenges arising from cruise and passenger ship operations and monitors governmental regulations affecting the industry. Cybersecurity | Reviews legal and practical developments involving cybersecurity in the maritime environment; keeps the Association informed of developments in cybersecurity risk management and regulatory compliance; maintains close contact with Classification Societies and the U.S. Coast Guard on cybersecurity issues. Fisheries | Serves as a forum for monitoring maritime law issues as they impact the fishing industry; while keeping the MLA membership up-to-date on legal developments in this important segment of U.S. maritime commerce, the Fisheries Committee also considers proposals for change in the statutes and regulations affecting the fishing industry. Government Counsel In-House Counsel (membership will need to be approved) Inland Waters & Towing | Provides a forum for all aspects of the inland waters practice, including the rivers and Great Lakes, as well as all aspects of the towing industry, including inland towing, ocean towing, ship assist and docking. International Organizations, Conventions and Standards | Tracks developments in international law, helps coordinate MLA participation in international organizations and in drafting conventions; has Subcommittees on Classification Societies, Comité Maritime International, and International Law of the Sea. Marine Financing | Monitors legal developments, proposes and comments on legislation and regulation, and conducts education projects that cover all aspects of vessel financing, including ship mortgages, maritime liens, foreclosures and bankruptcy, vessel documentation, cabotage, and taxation. Subcommittees include Maritime Liens and Mortgages (a joint subcommittee with the Practice and Procedure Committee), Coast Guard Documentation, U.S. Citizenship and Related Matters, Yacht Financing, and Taxation. Marine Insurance & General Average | Monitors legal and practical developments in this area; considers the necessity and desirability of changes in the law and practice; keeps the Association informed of current developments in underwriting, claims handling, antitrust considerations, state regulation, general average rules and practices and relationships between adjusters and attorneys; has prepared comprehensive annotations of marine policies; has Subcommittees directed specifically to Cargo Insurance, General Average, and Hull and P & I Insurance. Marine Pollution and Maritime Crimes | Reviews legal and practical developments at the international, national and state levels affecting liabilities arising from damage to the environment; assists in formulating Association comments to governmental organizations involved in this area; promotes uniformity; educates the membership about novel problems, including issues of criminal procedure, presented by greater scrutiny of operations affecting the environment. Marine Torts and Casualties | Monitors substantive and procedural legal issues arising from all kinds of marine casualties, including collisions, personal injuries and death; follows developments in all aspects of maritime law which affect liabilities arising from casualties, including exoneration of or limitation of liability and claimants’ rights to file claims; advises of developments affecting rights of injured maritime personnel Maritime Bankruptcy | Reviews, monitors and reports on legal developments concerning the interplay of maritime and bankruptcy jurisdiction; studies the effects of bankruptcy on the enforcement of mortgage liens and maritime liens and remedies; monitors and comments on the effect of proposed changes to the U.S. bankruptcy code and rules as they pertain to maritime rights, remedies and financing structures; monitors shipping bankruptcies and related cross-border insolvency issues and reports to the Association on developments and trends; and considers and reports on matters unique to the restructuring and workout of debt structures in shipping. Offshore Industries | Reviews, discusses and reports on all matters related to maritime operations in the domestic offshore industries, including federal and state jurisprudence, administrative law, legislation, and regulations from U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, Customs, Minerals Management Service, Maritime Administration, National Transportation Safety Board, the Labor Department, and state and local government agencies. Our Oceans | The Our Oceans Committee monitors and reports on ocean resources and their economic, environmental, sustainable, and competing uses. We follow international and U.S. oceans policy developments in legal, scientific, and commercial spheres of interest to the MLA’s membership, including but not limited to climate change; polar ice melt, increased Arctic access, and rising sea levels; and the impact of human actions on the oceans. Practice & Procedures | Studies developments involving existing rules and statutes governing maritime practice and advocates changes to these laws to improve efficiency of litigation and enhance consistency among jurisdictions; has developed Model Local Admiralty Rules adopted by a number of federal courts; comments on proposed changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Supplemental Admiralty Rules and assists in the process of their development to ensure harmony with admiralty practice; assisted in adoption of changes to federal rules and statutes addressing the right of interlocutory appeal, admissibility of Coast Guard marine casualty reports and forfeiture proceedings; has Subcommittees on Federal Rules and Statutes, and Local Admiralty Rules, and a Joint Subcommittee on Maritime Liens. Recreational Boating | Treats issues relating to increased use of pleasure craft and studies the impact legislation and judicial decisions directed to recreational vessels may have on maritime commerce and other areas of maritime law, such as jurisdiction and damages for personal injury; has drafted model uniform safe boating legislation so as to minimize proliferation of disparate state laws; has Subcommittees on Offshore Affairs and State Legislation. Regulation of Vessel Operations, Safety, Security and Navigation | Helps draft proposed legislation and comments on pending bills and regulations affecting navigation, safety and other aspects of the maritime industries, particularly carriers and shipowners; coordinates MLA liaisons to government agencies including Coast Guard and FMC; has formulated Association comments on revisions to Title 46. Salvage | Advises the Association of international and domestic legal developments concerning commercial salvage, treasure salvage, and related marine insurance issues; assists in formulating Association policy on emerging issues such as the UNESCO Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage, Salvage Convention, and Places of Refuge; was active in promoting government action on international salvage conventions. Stevedores/Marine Terminals | Provides a forum for those involved in industries that supply goods and services to vessels, including terminal operators, stevedores, ship agents, ship chandlers, marine surveyors, shipbuilders and ship repairers, and monitors issues and developments concerning the suppliers of those goods and services; monitors customs and duty regulations; monitors issues relating to foreign trade zones; and monitors regulation and licensing by the Federal Maritime Commission. Uniformity of Law | The Committee serves as a liaison committee to the MLA’s Board of Directors. It identifies and alerts the Board to legal decisions that give rise to decisional conflicts among the United States Circuit Courts of Appeals and district courts. The Committee also identifies and monitors significant State court decisions which may conflict with well-established principles of federal maritime law. At the request of the MLA President, it may be called upon to provide research and legal analysis to assist the Board in considering requests for amicus curiae participation by the MLA. The Committee offers CLE credit for attendance at its meetings at which members discuss recent developments in maritime law. Website & Technology | The Website & Technology Committee examines existing technology, technological developments, and trends in the maritime industry. Using this knowledge, the Website & Technology Committee provides support and guidance to the Association with respect to technology that supports and fosters participation of Members in the Association. Young Lawyers | Assists the MLA Standing Committees by providing valuable time and energy for Standing Committee projects. Contributions of the YLC have included research, writing, and speaking on diverse subjects pertaining to the MLA and maritime law in general. The involvement of the YLC in MLA Standing Committees has helped introduce the Young Lawyer members to the members and goals of the Association, the workings of the Standing Committees, and to prepare the Young Lawyer members for leadership roles in the Association. In many cases, YLC members have been appointed as officers of the various Standing Committees. Membership in the Young Lawyers Committee is open to lawyers under 40 and those who have been members of the Association for ten years or less. Membership on the Young Lawyers Committee shall not prevent a member from serving on three additional Standing Committees. Join a Committee from the Member Landing Page |