National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
By Nicole Simmons - 2004 NELMCC Chair
Pace University School of Law

Want to know more about hosting a moot court at your school? Interested in participating in next year's moot competition? Click here to contact Nicole Simmons.

Each February, Pace University School of Law has the privilege of hosting the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. This year, 72 teams from law schools across the United States and Canada participated in the challenging, three-day competition. After three tough preliminary rounds, and the quarter and semi-finals, Louisiana State University, University of California, Berkeley - Boalt Hall School of Law, and Lewis & Clark emerged as the finalists. Each team performed exceptionally despite being in front of a very hot bench which included Judge Richard Cudahy from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Dolores K. Sloviter from the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge Kathie Stein from the EPA's Environmental Appeals Board. Lewis & Clark, acting as the appellant, a petroleum company, eventually walked away with the win.

Frequently touted as the most prestigious environmental law moot in the country, the Competition tests students' skills in appellate brief writing and oral advocacy of contemporary, and often highly complex, environmental issues. Three teams representing industry interests, the government, and a public interest group argue the issues in an attempt to mirror actual environmental litigation proceedings. Oral arguments took place at Pace Law School during February 19th-21st. During the final rounds, Pace continued the tradition of including two judges from the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and a judge from the U.S. EPA's Environmental Appeals Board in the competition.

This year Pace University concurrently hosted a Continuing Legal Education seminar on Environmental Ethics during the competition. Irma Russell, Professor at the University of Memphis and author of the recent publication "Issues of Legal Ethics in the Practice of Environmental Law," conducted an interactive seminar entitled "Public Confidence in the Law and Client Confidentiality."
Pace University and the Moot Court Board enjoyed putting together the competition and is excited to be able to continue the tradition next year.

Overall Winner
Lewis & Clark
Dave M. Jones-Landry
Isa Anne Lester
Kristin Ruether

Best Brief Overall
Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law
Noah AnStraus
Louise Melchor
Jennifer Sosa

Best Brief Appellant
Washington University - St. Louis School of Law
Kathy A. Reichbach
Nicole S. Zellweger

Best Brief Amicus Curiae
University of Michigan Law School
Doug Chartier
Richard Lee
Erica Tennyson

Best Oralist
Willamette University College of Law
Robert Taylor