Biography

Marva Jo Wyatt has practiced admiralty and maritime law for over twenty years. Ms. Wyatt has considerable practical experience, both in the courtroom and on the waterfront, attending to a variety of maritime casualties, including collisions, personal injuries, allisions, oil and hazardous chemical spills, cargo damage, and vessel arrests. She has also served as a member of the Attorney Settlement Officer Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Ms. Wyatt earned her JD from Tulane Law School in 1985 and an LLM in Admiralty from Tulane Law School in 1991. She graduated magna cum laude from Sophie Newcomb Memorial College at Tulane University in 1983. Upon receiving her JD, she clerked for the Hon. Donald E. Walter (USDC W. La.) and the Hon. Melvin Shortess (Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeal). She has been trained in Arbitration and Mediation from Pepperdine Law School's Strauss Institute. She is also the former chair of the Admiralty Maritime Law Committee appointed by the California Bar Association to develop the standards and testing requirements for certification of attorneys as specialists in admiralty and maritime law.

Ms. Wyatt is admitted to practice by both the Louisiana and California State Bar Associations.

Selected Publications

When Two Presumptions Collide: Pennsylvania Rules, 44 Tul. Mar. Jour. (Fall 2020 forthcoming)

High Crimes on the High Seas, 20 University of San Francisco Maritime Law. Journal 147 (2008)

COGSA Comes Ashore . . . And More: The Supreme Court Makes Inroads Promoting Uniformity and Maritime Commerce in Norfolk Southern Railway v. Kirby, 30 Tulane Maritime Law Journal 101 (Spring 2006)

The Loss of Loss of Society in the Ninth Circuit: Should State Courts Follow Suit? 18 University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal 201 (Summer 2006)

Farrel Lines, Inc. v. Ceres Terminals, Inc., Availability of Anti-Suit Injunctions in Admiralty, 1999 International Law Journal of Shipping Law 252 (September 1999)

Ports, Politicians and the Public Trust: The Los Angeles Port Funds Controversy Comes Face to Face With Federal Law, 9 University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal 357 (1997)

Navigating the Limits of State Spill Regulations: How Far Can They Go? 8 University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal 1 (Fall 1995)

Financing the Clean-up: Cargo Owner Liability For Vessel Spills, 7 University of San Francisco Maritime Law Journal 353 (Spring 1995)

Contract Terms in International Transport: COGSA Comes Ashore, 16 Tulane Maritime Law Journal 177 (Fall 1991)