Jonathan M. Gutoff

Jonathan M. Gutoff
Jonathan M. GutoffProfessor of Law

Contact Information

401-254-4627jgutoff@rwu.eduSSRN Author Page

Education

J.D., University of Chicago
A.B., Brown University

Professor Jonathan Gutoff is one of the nation’s top experts on piracy and maritime law issues. In addition to his popular courses on Administrative Law, Admiralty, Civil Procedure, and Remedies, Gutoff is a former acting director (and present faculty member) of RWU Law’s Marine Affairs Institute. His articles have appeared in top legal publications such as the Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce (“The Law of Piracy in Popular Culture”), the Tulane Law Review and the University of Pittsburgh Law Review. He has addressed regional, national and international conferences on marine and environmental law issues, and he is regularly sought out for his expert commentary by media outlets as diverse as the National Law Journal and National Public Radio.

Professor Gutoff, a classics major at Brown, earned his J.D. at the University of Chicago.

Articles

"Attaching Domestic Assets to Remedy High Seas Pollution: Rule B and Marine Debris", 22 Roger Williams University Law Review 432 (2017)

"Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt:A Split Court, Full Faith and Credit, and Federal Common Law", 22  Roger Williams University Law Review 248 (2017)

"An Examination and Consideration of: Jurisdiction and Forum Selection in International Maritime Law: Essays in Honor of Robert Force", 38 Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce 583 (2007)

"Fugitive Slaves and Ship-jumping Sailors: The Enforcement and Survival of Coerced Labor", 9 University of Pennsylvania Journal of Labor and Employment Law 87 (2006) 

"A Jurisdictional Prolegomenon to the Limitation of Liability Act", 32 Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce 203 (2001)

"The Law of Piracy in Popular Culture", 31 Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce 643 (2000)

"Federal Common Law and Congressional Delegation: A Reconceptualization of Admiralty", 61 University of Pittsburgh Law Review 367 (2000)

"Original Understandings and the Private Law Origins of the Federal Admiralty Jurisdiction: A Reply to Professor Casto", 30 Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce 361 (1999)

"Limitation of Liability in Oil Pollution Cases: In Search of Concursus or Procedural Alternative to Concursus?", 22 Tulane Maritime Law Journal 331 (1998) (with Robert Force)

"Admiralty, Article III, and Supreme Court Review of State Court Decisionmaking", 70 Tulane Law Review 2169 (1996)

Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.