Lamothe Law Firm, is pleased to announce that the Maritime Law Association of the United States has named Richard M. Martin, Jr., as a Proctor Member at its recent Board of Directors meeting. The term “Proctor in Admiralty” applies to lawyers entitled to represent clients in maritime litigation. Originally derived from the Roman word “Procurator,” when the Roman word was translated into English, the term “Proctor” was used by the Admiralty Courts set up in England in the 13th century. Those courts had jurisdiction over disputes within the Royal Navy as well as purely commercial maritime matters.
The designation of being a “Proctor” was continued in the American colonies. After an attorney passed the bar examination, an additional bar exam was required for attorneys who wished to practice Admiralty law. Today, earning the designation as a “Proctor in Admiralty” typically requires years of practicing in the federal court system and only after the recommendation of two existing Proctor’s in Admiralty to a peer review committee who evaluates a variety of factors including the applicants litigation experience, speaking engagements, publications, and contribution to the field of maritime law.
Mr. Martin is a graduate of Tulane Law School with thirty-five years of maritime law trial experience following active duty in the U.S. Navy and a subsequent clerkship with the late U.S. District Judge Henry Mentz, Jr. He has been a frequent author and lecturer on maritime topics, and is a mentor to Tulane Law School student members of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal. He is a member of the state bars of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and has been admitted before the U.S. Supreme Court, four U.S. Circuit courts, and has practiced before numerous federal district courts.
The designation of “Proctor” was used in the federal court system in the United States until 1966 when the Admiralty Rules and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were unified. Although the term “Proctor” is no longer in official usage, many associations use the term to distinguish their members as practicing maritime attorneys.
