(THROGGS NECK, N.Y.) — Alex Keenan of Fishkill, N.Y., won the top award in a student research paper competition recently hosted by the Connecticut Maritime Association.
Keenan is a student in SUNY Maritime College’s graduate international transportation management program. His paper won the top prize at the association’s annual trade show, which was attended by maritime companies and organizations from around the world.
His paper explored the legal standing and future of bills of lading, paperwork that allows a ship’s cargo to be sold while still in transit. Laws surrounding the maritime industry can still require paper bills, which may delay cargo transfers as the documents are reviewed by customs agents and financiers, costing a company time and money.
Keenan, who graduates in December, is planning for a career in maritime law. He has a master’s of law degree and recently passed the bar, but realized that an understanding of the maritime world would help him in practice.
“On the law side of the maritime world, I was fine but nearly every aspect of maritime law deals with the business side of things. If I understand the business aspect, it will make me that much of a better lawyer,” Keenan said. “I came to Maritime to get more exposure to the business side of the maritime world.”
