Joshua Force

Mr. Force practices in the areas of commercial litigation, admiralty, and complex insurance defense and coverage law and has represented clients at both the trial and appellate levels. Mr. Force is admitted to practice in Louisiana, Texas, and California and has practiced with law firms in each of those states. Mr. Force is an active member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, having served on its Board of Directors and as Chair of the MLA's Practice and Procedure and Young Lawyers Committees. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Benedict on Admiralty, a former Managing Editor of Benedict's Maritime Bulletin, an Editorial Fellow for the American Maritime Cases, and a member of the Planning Committee and National Advisory Board of the Tulane Admiralty Law Institute.  Mr. Force is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law at Tulane Law School and teaches a course in Marine Pollution.  Mr. Force received his Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College. Upon graduating from law school, Mr. Force served as a law clerk to the Honorable W. Eugene Davis of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Representative Cases

• Versai Management Corp. v. Clarendon America Ins. Co., 597 F.2d 729 (5th Cir. 2010)
• Morrell v. Alfortish, No. 10-924, WL 4668429 (E.D. La. 2010)
• Safety Nat'l Cas. Corp. v. Certain Underwriters at Loyd's, London, 587 F.3d 714 (5th Cir. 2009)
• Canal 66 Partnership v. United States, 87 Fed. Cl. 722 (2009)
• Jeansonne v. New York Life Ins., 11 So. 3d 1160 (La. App. 3 Cir. 2009)
• Doe v. Tangipahoa Parish School Board, 494 F.3d 494 (5th Cir. 2007)
• Poteet v. American Bankers Insurance Co., WL 3124699 (E.D.La 2007)
• Travelers Cas. & Sur. Co. of America v. Wright Ins. Agency Inc., 404 F.3d 927 (5th Cir. 2005)
• LaSalle Bank, N.A. v. Mobile Hotel Properties, LLC, 367 F. Supp. 2d 1022 (E.D. La. 2004)
• Gravolet v. Fair Grounds Corp., 878 So. 2d 900 (La. App. 4 Cir. 2004)
• Warn v. M/Y MARIDOME, 169 F.3d 625 (9th Cir. 1999)
• Warn v. M/Y MARIDOME, 961 F.Supp. 1357 (S.D. Cal. 1997)
• Lecy v. Bayliner Marine Corp., 973 P.2d 1110, 94 Wash.App. 949 (Wash. Ct. App. 1999)
• Bender Shipbuilding & Repair Co. v. Vessel DRIVE OCEAN V, 2000 A.M.C. 1958 (S.D. Cal. 1998)

Areas of Practice

• Commercial Litigation
• Admiralty
• Complex Insurance Defense
• Coverage Law

Litigation Percentage

• 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Texas, 1991
• Louisiana, 1992
• California, 1995
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1995
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1991
• U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1995
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 1992
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of California, 1995
• U.S. District Court Northern District of California, 1995
• U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1995
• U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 1996
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, 2000
• U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, 2001
• U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana, 2001
• U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 2002
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2007
• U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit, 2009

Education

• Harvard University Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• J.D. - 1991
• Honors: Addison Brown Prize
• Law Review: Harvard International Law Journal, 1989-1991, Recent Developments Editor, 1990-1991
• Haverford College, Haverford, PA
• B.A. - 1988
• Honors: Phi Beta Kappa
• Major: Russian (With Honors)

Honors and Awards

• Louisiana Super Lawyers, 2008 - 2015
• CityBusiness Leadership in Law Honoree, 2014
• Best Lawyers in America since 2008 with special designations, during 2015 or a prior year, in Admiralty and Maritime Law, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance, Litigation - Real Estate, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2008 - 2015
• Anne Goldsmith Hanaw and J. Jerome Hanaw Tikkun Olam Award for Campaign Excellence, 2011, Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans
• Daniel R. Ginsberg Leadership Award, 2008, Anti-Defamation League
• Margot and Herbert J. Garon Young Leadership Award, 2007, Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans
• Barney D. Mintz Leadership Award, 2005, Anti-Defamation League, South Central Region

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Maritime Law Association of the United States, 1994 - Present
• Maritime Law Association of the United States, Board of Directors, 2009 - 2012
• Maritime Law Association of the United States, Marine Insurance and General Average Committee, Secretary, 1998 - 2004
• Maritime Law Association of the United States, Practice and Procedure Committee, Chair, 2008 - 2012, Vice Chair, 2004 - 2008
• Maritime Law Association of the United States, Young Lawyers Committee, Chair, 2001- 2003, Secretary, 1999-2001
• Tulane Admiralty Law Institute, National Advisory Board 2005 - Present; Planning and Program Committees, 2007 - Present
• Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, 1993 - Present
• Houston Mariners Club, 1993 - Present
• American Maritime Cases, Editorial Fellow, 1999 - Present
• Benedict on Admiralty, Editor-in-Chief, 2012 – Present
• Benedict's Maritime Bulletin, Editorial Board, 2003 – 2012; Managing Editor, 2009 – 2012

Past Employment Positions

• Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft, LLP, Partner, 1999 - 2000
• Hancock Rothert & Bunshoft, LLP, Associate, 1997 - 1998
• Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP, Associate, 1995 - 1997
• Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., Associate, 1992 - 1995
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Hon. W. Eugene Davis, Law Clerk, 1991 - 1992

 

See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations by Joshua Force