sea lawyer

plural sea lawyers · alternative sea-lawyer

1. A lawyer who specializes in maritime law.
2. slangnauticalA rules lawyer.
3. archaicslangnauticalA shark.

   Well, I will say, I think the sea lawyer is worse than the chaps on shore. I would rather see Mother Carey's chickens any day than a shark following a ship.

   1852, The Spectator - Volume 25, page 807

   2 more examples

   The extraordinary number of these sea lawyers present, was equalled only by their rapacity. Before we began cutting-in, they had already commenced their meal. Taking advantage of a heave of the swell, a shark would wriggle up on top of the whale, and setting his wide opened mouth against the solid blubber, would bite out a piece as round as and about the size of a man's head.

   1859, The boy's own sea stories; the adventures of a sailor, narrated by himself

   On rising, and casting another hasty glance at the big head and huge back fin of my enemy, I saw that he was evidently hungry and excited, and making frantic efforts to get at me; but that, being a big shark, success in his laudable attempts was not within the resources of science — in fact, morally and physically impossible, for there was scarcely water enough to swim a good-sized salmon. Being convinced of this highly comfortable state of things, I at once became cool and jolly; and, calling out to Frank to run to the United States Hotel, and fetch my rifle and a little bag of ammunition, which I always kept handy for chance occasions of sport, I prepared to have a little “chaff” with the “sea lawyer".

   1878, Eneas Sweetland Dallas, Once a Week, page 112

4. Synonym of mangrove snapper.

   Synonyms: mangrove snapper