Dwayne Clark

Dwayne Clark is a mediator and attorney who has represented defendants and plaintiffs in maritime cases and litigation for four decades.

Dwayne is admitted to practice before federal and state courts in the state of Florida and previously before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He has tried numerous cases in both state and federal court, and written briefs and argued appeals in the Florida appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He has spoken at maritime seminars and has taught legal research and writing, and other law courses, to paralegals studying for their paralegal certificates. He also served as an adjunct professor at Florida Coastal School of Law for two years, teaching pretrial litigation drafting.

Before attending law school, Dwayne served with the United States Coast Guard from 1976 to 1980. During his service with the Coast Guard, Dwayne served aboard a Coast Guard cutter. He stood helm watches, assisted in navigation, and served on the deck as a seaman. He also qualified as an engineer and, as a machinist mate, stood watches in a manned engine room while performing machinery repair and maintenance.

During his service aboard the vessel, he knew practically every inch of the boat and understood most every aspect of its operation. His cutter performed search and rescue operations around the Hawaiian Islands and in the open Pacific Ocean as far as Midway Island. His vessel was often in heavy seas in foul weather.

Dwayne also served in the Port of Houston as a port safety officer and was licensed by the United States Coast Guard as a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer — Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels — Inland — as defined in 46 U.S.C. 2101 (42)(B). As a port safety officer, he boarded hundreds of vessels that entered the Port of Houston and conducted safety inspections. He personally responded to catastrophic maritime disasters, including ship and oil refinery explosions and fires, and assisted in port safety and investigation of those incidents. He also served occasionally on small patrol boats and helicopters during search and rescue and pollution control operations.

After leaving the Coast Guard, Dwayne worked for a prominent law firm in Houston as a marine investigator. His sole job was the investigation of marine accidents, injuries, and damages of every type in and around the Port of Houston. His background and life experience have prepared him and this firm to have a comprehensive understanding of the maritime industry and casualties.

Dwayne graduated from the State University College at Buffalo (B.S., summa cum laude) in 1984. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma in 1987.

He is an avid fly fisherman, boater, and outdoorsman. He regularly boats on the waters of the St. Johns River, the Intracoastal Waterway, and is very familiar with waters and ocean around Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Florida in general.

Certifications

• Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, 2009
• Florida Supreme Court Certified County Court Mediator, 2025

Admitted to Practice

• Florida State Courts
• S. District Courts (Florida)
• S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Education

• State University College at Buffalo, B.S., 1984
  • Honors: Summa cum laude
• University of Oklahoma, J.D., 1987
  • Activities: Note Editor, Oklahoma Law Review