Brief of Professors David J. Bederman et al. as Amici Curiae in Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker

Amicus Curiae brief in support of Petition for Certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States in Exxon Shipping v. Baker (the Exxon Valdez case). From the statement of Interest of Amici Curiae: Amici are law professors engaged in study of the admiralty and maritime law of the United States. They have published extensively about it, and currently teach or have spent their professional careers teaching, about it. The only interest of amici is in optimal development of the body of U.S. law that governs in cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction. Indeed, we differ on how various questions concerning the maritime law of punitive damages in this case should be answered in general and how those answers should be applied to the award in this case. We agree, however, that answers of some kind are overdue. Moreover, we agree on the approach that a court should take in formulating the maritime law of the United States and on the sources to which such a court might look in the process. We therefore file this amicus brief to assist the Court in its resolution of this significant case