The Lulu was a Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of maritime law. The case involved a dispute between the owners of the Lulu, a British vessel, and the owners of the cargo it was carrying. The owners of the cargo claimed that the Lulu had been damaged due to the negligence of the captain and crew, and sought compensation for the damages. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the owners of the Lulu, finding that the captain and crew had acted in good faith and had not been negligent. The Court also held that the owners of the cargo were not entitled to compensation for the damages, as they had failed to prove that the captain and crew had been negligent. The Court's ruling established the principle that a vessel's owners are not liable for damages caused by the negligence of the captain and crew, unless the owners had knowledge of the negligence and failed to take corrective action. This ruling has been cited in numerous subsequent cases involving maritime law.

In the case of The Lulu, a majority opinion was reached that the vessel in question had been properly seized by the United States government. However, Justice Field dissented from this ruling and argued that there were several flaws with how it came to be decided. He noted that while Congress had authorized such seizures for vessels engaged in piracy or slave trading, no evidence existed to suggest The Lulu was involved in either activity. Furthermore, he pointed out that even if they did have proof of wrongdoing on behalf of the ship's crew or owners, due process should still have been followed before any seizure could take place. As such, he concluded that since no legal justification for seizing The Lulu could be found and proper procedures were not followed prior to its capture; it should be released back into private ownership without penalty or compensation being paid by either side.