He received his J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in Boston and his LL.M. from the Law and Marine Affairs Program at the University of Washington. He also holds degrees in Business (University of Lowell) and Journalism (University of Mississippi). Over the course of the last thirty years he has worked as a newspaper reporter; an attorney in private practice; served as general counsel to a nonprofit organization focusing on marine habitat protection issues; and, has directed the marine law research programs in Mississippi and Maine. Since 2004, he has engaged in teaching and research on issues of law, the environment, natural resource management, and communication.