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SKILL SHARPENER
Tulane Admiralty and Maritime LL.M. Alumnus Navigated Circuitous Route to His Goal [by Erica Winter] David Savidge’s voyage to Tulane Law School and receiving his LL.M. in Admiralty and Maritime Law in 2002 started when he was very young.
“I grew up being regaled with tales of Greek
While interning at the DOJ, Savidge saw an
ship captains,” says Savidge, whose grand-
attorney argue adroitly against the govern-
ceptional practical experience, he says. For
father was in the ship-repair business in
ment on behalf of Cunard Lines, which
example, the professor teaching his class
Hoboken, NJ. Years later in law school at the
brought a suit saying their boat had run
in maritime personal injury and death has
City University of New York, Savidge was in a
aground due to improper sounding (depth
been practicing in that field for more than 30
first-year contracts class when an obscure
determination) of a United States channel.
years. It “doesn’t get much better than that,”
admiralty term surfaced, and the professor
Cunard was not successful in the case, but
Savidge says.
told the class not to worry about it.
the attorney had made an impression on Savidge.
Tulane also brings in adjunct faculty with ex-
Rounding out the program is a strong connection between the school and the maritime
“That got me going,” says Savage. He researched the obscure term and came to
After receiving his J.D. from City Univer-
legal community in New Orleans, a ma-
believe that “the most interesting fact pat-
sity, Savidge moved to Albany, NY. His wife,
jor port and hub for worldwide admiralty
terns in the law come from maritime cases.”
who had also just received her J.D., had a
and maritime legal practice. While in the
He was hooked.
two-year clerkship there. Savidge worked
LL.M. program, Savidge interned at a local
far away from the maritime field--as a staff
maritime firm--an opportunity any Tulane
Now Savidge is an associate in the Los Ange-
attorney with Prisoners’ Legal Services of
maritime LL.M. student can take. Savidge
les office of Coudert Brothers, practicing an
New York. There he did not work on prisoner
was also a member of the Tulane Maritime
even split of maritime law and insurance law.
appeals but on defending their rights while
Law Journal.
His route to Tulane and practicing maritime
incarcerated. Overall, with all the theoretical and practical
law shows there’s more than one path to reaching a desired shore.
Then, his wife’s clerkship over, she found
learning opportunities available in the pro-
a job at a firm in Washington, DC, and he
gram, “for the proactive student, it’s a gold
Having discovered the specialty for him in his
went to Tulane. They became “the jet-setting
mine,” he says.
first year, there was only one catch: City Uni-
couple for the eight months of the school
versity did not offer maritime classes. Sav-
year,” Savidge says, traveling to see each
Skill at his field, plus some serendipity and
idge traveled up river to the State University
other on weekends.
a good memory, lead Savidge to Coudert Brothers. Savidge remembered the attorney
of New York Maritime College in the Bronx to take classes there. In his second summer, he
In Tulane’s premier Admiralty and Maritime
who had argued the Cunard case back in New
went on Tulane’s summer program in Greece
program, Savidge found his niche. The pro-
York and wrote him a letter expressing his
and had his first taste of Tulane Law’s admi-
gram and its flagship Maritime Law Center
interest in maritime law. That attorney had
ralty and maritime program.
“prepared me very well for the practice” of
joined Coudert Brothers as a partner in the
maritime law. “It’s the best,” says Savidge.
Los Angeles office. Savidge was invited to interview there and is now an associate.
Later that same summer, and into his third year, Savidge had an internship with the
While at Tulane, “I tried to take every class
Department of Justice’s Civil Branch, Tort
possible,” says Savidge. Tulane’s maritime
“I thoroughly enjoy” practicing maritime law,
Division, Admiralty Branch Office, in Manhat-
faculty members, including Professors Rob-
he says, noting his education at Tulane gave
tan. Savidge “got to work with some very
ert Force and Martin Davies, are excellent
him an accurate picture of what the real
experienced maritime attorneys there,” he
and often quoted by the courts. “These are
practice of this specialty would be like.
says.
the people teaching you on a daily basis,” says Savidge.
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