Participants at the Maritime Law School were divided into teams, each of which developed proposals for legislative reform in one of the following four areas: maritime transport development; the protection and preservation of the marine environment; social security in the maritime sector; and Arctic-related concerns.

Representatives of public authorities, legal academics and practising lawyers delivered lectures at the School. Young RUMLA member Heydar Bayramov highlighted two speakers in particular:

“One of the highlights was the lecture entitled ‘Contemporary Maritime Law: Current Issues of Theory and Practice,’ delivered by Damir K. Bekyashev, Head of the Department of International Law at MGIMO University. It addressed the most pressing challenges facing the field and the prospects for its further development. Another highlight was the masterclass on ship arrest given by Maria A. Krasnova, Partner and Head of the Maritime Law Practice at KIAP Attorneys at Law. It was especially valuable to gain insight from a practitioner who handles such disputes on a daily basis.”

The organisers also ensured that the programme was interdisciplinary. Alongside lawyers, it featured experts with technical and maritime backgrounds. Captain First Rank Vladimir P. Maltsev, for instance, outlined a strategy for the development of Russia‘s modern maritime fleet, while Dmitry I. Glukhovets, a leading researcher at the Institute of Oceanology, provided a detailed account of the actual impact of shipping on the marine environment. The organisers also managed to bring together representatives of three key ministries: the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Inessa Barinskaya, a lawyer at ALRUD and another Young RUMLA member, was among the Maritime Law School‘s lecturers. She presented research examining the application of international maritime law conventions by the courts:

“As far as Russian case law is concerned, conventions are frequently treated solely as supplementary sources of law that reinforce the provisions already contained in domestic legislation.”

The full text of Inessa Barinskaya‘s study will appear in issue 3 / 2026 of Maritime Law.

In his concluding remarks on the four-day event, Vladimir Sinyukov, Vice-Rector for Research at MSAL, noted the acute shortage of maritime-law practitioners capable of “putting forward proposals that would help develop the field and bring its many “issues afloat” to a new level.”

Vlada Khanina, another Young RUMLA member who took part in the Maritime Law School, believes that raising awareness of maritime law among young lawyers requires both educational initiatives of this kind and more extensive outreach to students. Many young lawyers have not heard of the MSAL project. She also stressed the need to involve a broader range of industry professionals, rather than relying on a small group of experts already known to the organisers.

Internships with companies actively involved in maritime projects could provide another effective way of attracting talented young people to the field. ■