Maritime Law Association of the United States

What Maritime Law Association of the United States does

The Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1899 and incorporated in Illinois in 1993. It is the oldest and most recognized maritime legal organization in the United States, dedicated to advancing reform, education, and uniformity in U.S. maritime and admiralty law. The MLA serves maritime lawyers, judges, law professors, and maritime industry professionals through nine classes of membership (Proctor in Admiralty, Associate Lawyer, Judicial, Academic, Honorary, Life, Ex-Officio, Adjunct, and Law Student), with annual dues of $300 for most paid categories and $150 for lawyers admitted less than five years.

The MLA's core offerings are organized around 24+ standing committees covering specialized maritime law practice areas (Carriage of Goods, Marine Financing, Offshore Industries, Arbitration & ADR, Autonomous Vessels, Cybersecurity, Cruise Lines, Fisheries, Marine Insurance, and others), accredited Continuing Legal Education programs (via New York State CLE Board accreditation), semi-annual Spring and Fall General Meetings, and a published Member Directory. Technology infrastructure is minimal: membership administration, applications, renewals, event registration, and directory access are powered by MemberClicks, a third-party association management platform. No proprietary technology, AI/ML systems, or API products are disclosed. Distribution is conducted through the mlaus.org web portal and direct membership applications reviewed quarterly by the Board of Directors.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through recurring annual membership dues, supplemented by event fees and publication revenue. The MLA does not publicly disclose financial figures and operates as a member-governed body with no parent company, external investors, or shareholders. Its strategic significance extends beyond its modest revenue base: it serves as the U.S. constituent member of the Comité Maritime International and an affiliated organization of the American Bar Association, and its members regularly serve as private-sector advisors to U.S. delegations at the IMO, UNCITRAL, UNCTAD, UNIDROIT, and the Hague Conference.

Name

Maritime Law Association of the United States

Legal name

The Maritime Law Association of the United States

Website

https://mlaus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Maritime Law Association of the United States, founded in 1899, is the oldest U.S. professional membership organization for maritime lawyers, judges, law professors, and industry professionals, advancing reform and uniformity in admiralty and maritime law through committees, CLE programs, and international collaboration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Law Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies (BPADAAAJ)

Keywords

• Maritime law association
• Professional membership organization
• Continuing legal education
• Maritime law advocacy
• Admiralty law reform

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The MLA generates revenue through annual membership dues. Proctor, Associate, Academic, and Adjunct members pay $300/year. Members admitted to the bar less than five years pay reduced dues of $150/year. A $250 reinstatement fee applies for former members rejoining, in addition to annual dues. Honorary, Ex-Officio, Judicial, and Law Student members are exempt from dues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Maritime Law Association of the United States is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1899 that advances reform, education, and uniformity in U.S. maritime and admiralty law. It sells annual memberships across nine eligibility classes (Proctor in Admiralty, Associate Lawyer, Academic, Adjunct, Judicial, Honorary, Life, Ex-Officio, and Law Student), delivers New York State-accredited CLE programs, and convenes semi-annual Spring and Fall General Meetings plus 24+ specialized practice-area committees. Members also receive access to the Association's Directory, By-Laws, committee reports, and international collaboration through CMI and ABA affiliations.

Product overview

The Maritime Law Association of the United States is a professional legal organization founded in 1899 that serves as the leading organization focusing on maritime law in the United States. The MLA offers a unified membership-based service portfolio centered around professional development and networking for maritime lawyers. Core offerings include membership services with nine eligibility classes (Associate Lawyer, Proctor, Adjunct, Honorary, Judicial, Academic, Life, Ex-Officcio, Law Student), accredited Continuing Legal Education programs, semi-annual Spring and Fall General Meetings, and participation in 24+ standing committees covering specialized maritime law practice areas. The Association also publishes member directories and collaborates internationally through its role as a constituent member of the Comite Maritime International and affiliation with the American Bar Association. The MLA is governed by a Board of Directors with officers including President, First and Second Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and Website and Technology Secretary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MLA Membership Annual membership subscription across nine eligibility classes providing access to committee participation, CLE programs, the membership directory, semi-annual meetings, and international maritime law collaboration. Standard dues are $300/year ($150 for lawyers admitted less than five years; $250 reinstatement fee for returning former members).
• Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Programs New York State-accredited CLE programming delivered through committee meetings and Spring/Fall General Meetings, allowing member attorneys to earn CLE credit while engaging with maritime law content.
• Spring and Fall General Meetings Semi-annual gatherings featuring full-scale committee meetings, CLE presentations, and networking opportunities for MLA members. The Fall 2026 General Meeting is scheduled for October 14, 2026.
• Member Directory and Publications Comprehensive MLA Directory containing By-Laws, the membership list, committee reports, and maritime law reference materials, available in print and online to members.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Comité Maritime International (CMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MLA is a constituent member of the Comité Maritime International, established in 1897 in Antwerp. Through this relationship, MLA members have been instrumental in drafting international maritime conventions including the 1924 Hague Rules, 1968 Visby Amendments, and 1989 Salvage Convention. MLA participates actively in CMI colloquia and has served on committees drafting conventions on carriage of goods, limitation of liability, and arrest of ships.
• American Bar Association (ABA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MLA is an Affiliated Organization of the American Bar Association and is represented in the ABA House of Delegates. The ABA's Model Rules of Professional Conduct recognize the designation 'Proctor in Admiralty' for maritime practitioners. The organizations collaborate on maritime law advocacy and policy positions.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLA members have served on a regular basis as private sector advisors to the U.S. Delegation to the IMO Legal Committee. The MLA coordinates with the IMO on international conventions concerning marine safety, navigation, liability, and compensation issues including SOLAS, MARPOL 73/78, and the Athens Convention Protocol.
• United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MLA has been actively involved in advising United States Delegations to UNCITRAL. MLA members played key roles in drafting the Rotterdam Rules (Convention on Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, 2009). The association continues to support ratification efforts for international trade law conventions.
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MLA collaborates with UNCTAD on international maritime conventions, particularly the 1993 International Convention on Maritime Liens and Mortgages and the 1999 International Convention on the Arrest of Ships.
• International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MLA works with UNIDROIT on matters of private and commercial law harmonization relevant to maritime transactions, including international financial leasing and factoring conventions.
• Society of Maritime ArbitratorsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MLA's Committee on Arbitration and ADR maintains a close relationship with the Society of Maritime Arbitrators, promoting alternative dispute resolution methods in maritime contexts and sharing expertise on arbitration practice and mediation guidelines.
• Hague Conference on Private International LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe MLA provided advice to the U.S. Delegation at Hague Conference meetings and comments on proposed implementation of the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements, a project negotiated over 15 years.

Scale indicators3 records

Others

• World Maritime University: WMU is an IMO-founded graduate institution focused on maritime policy, law, safety, and environmental education; it is adjacent to MLA's policy and educational remit but operates as a degree-granting academic institution rather than a practitioner association.

Direct peers

• New York State Bar Association: NYSBA is a US state-level legal membership organization that also provides NY-accredited CLE; MLA's NY-based CLE accreditation and practitioner audience overlap heavily with NYSBA's maritime-relevant membership and programs.
• Federal Bar Association: FBA is a US legal professional membership organization for federal practitioners, similar in scale and structure to MLA; both operate dues-funded memberships, CLE, and section/committee-based programming for specialized federal practice areas.
• Comité Maritime International: CMI is the international private-law body of which MLA is a constituent member; both organizations develop and harmonize maritime law globally and share overlapping practitioner and committee networks.
• Society of Maritime Arbitrators: SMA is a US-focused membership organization for maritime arbitrators and practitioners that partners with MLA's Arbitration & ADR Committee; both serve similar maritime legal professionals and collaborate on ADR programming.

Broad incumbents

• International Bar Association: IBA is a global legal professional membership organization offering cross-border practice resources, conferences, and committees; it is comparable to MLA at a broader scale and intersects with MLA's international maritime constituency.
• American Bar Association: ABA is the umbrella US legal professional association to which MLA is affiliated; ABA offers broader legal CLE, sections, and House of Delegates representation, overlapping with MLA on member services and CLE programming.

Emerging players

• Lloyd's Maritime Academy: Lloyd's Maritime Academy provides commercial training and professional development to the global maritime community; it is comparable to MLA on the professional education dimension and overlaps in audience, though as a commercial rather than member-funded body.
• Association of Average Adjusters of the United States: AAA of the US is a small, specialized maritime professional body focused on average adjusting; it is comparable to MLA as a long-standing US maritime practitioner membership organization with overlapping constituents and standards-setting function.

Regional players

• Maritime London (formerly London Maritime Arbitrators Association context): LMAA is the leading UK-based maritime arbitration and practitioner body, a regional counterpart to MLA; both organize maritime dispute resolution and practitioner events, but LMAA focuses on the London market and international arbitration work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mlaus

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maritime Law Association of the United States