Biography:
Professor Force clerked for state and federal judges in Pennsylvania, practiced law in Philadelphia, and taught law at Indiana University before coming to Tulane in 1968. He teaches courses in admiralty and criminal law. Professor Force was named special master to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana for a major case involving conditions in the Orleans Parish Prison. His current research activities are largely in the area of admiralty and maritime law, but he has co-authored the Louisiana Code of Evidence as well as numerous articles on maritime law. Professor Force and his colleagues, Professor Yiannopoulos and Professor Davies, have co-authored two coursebooks used in Admiralty I and II. Professor Force has authored two well-known admiralty texts, Force & Norris on The Law of SeamenI (Fifth Edition) and Force & Norris on The Law of Maritime Personal Injuries Fifth Edition).

Professor Force is director emeritus of the Maritime Law Center, of which he was the founding director and holds the only endowed chair in maritime law in the United States. He was Acting Dean from 1977 through 1978. In 2001, Professor Force was honored by the Seamens Church Institute as a maritime law legend and received its Distinguished Maritime Law Award. In 2002, he was honored by the President of Panama, who designated him a member of the Order de Vasco Nunez de Balboa.  A book, Jurisdiction and Forum Selection Clauses in International Maritime Law edited by Professor Martin Davies , contains a series of essays in honor of Professor Force.

Courses:
Fall 2009 - Transnational Litigation
Spring 2010 - Admiralty II; Admiralty Seminar
Other courses -  Criminal Law; International Sale of Goods; International Commercial Arbitration; Admiralty I