Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University hosts prestigious 34th annual Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition

March 2, 2022
NELMCC 202

Instituted in 1989, the Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC) is one of the nation’s largest interschool moot court competitions. Under pre-pandemic conditions, NELMCC is known for hosting as many as 350 law students and attorney judges on the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University’s Westchester campus.  Despite the pandemic, last year, Haub Law did not skip a beat and hosted the first ever all virtual NELMCC – allowing students to continue to participate in the highly competitive competition. This year, still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Competition was held virtually once again.

NELMCC has established a national standard of excellence in moot court competitions. Each year the “Problem” presented to the teams focuses on timely issues of national importance to the practice of environmental law. This year, Professor Karl S. Coplan challenged both teams and judges alike with a unique, timely, and complex “Problem” focused on the Clean Water Act. Assisting in editing this year’s “Problem” and writing the Bench Memo, was Haub Law Environmental Fellow, Katie G. Horner. Chaired by a Haub Law student each year, this year, Haub Law 2L Christen T. Maccone had the honor and responsibility. Prior to the Competition, competitors research and analyze the issues presented in the environmental problem before writing persuasive arguments for one party (either the government, a public interest group, or a member of the regulated industry) advocating how the issues should be resolved. Competitors are then required to argue the issues orally for all three parties, rounding out the rigorous academic experience.

Associate Director of Environmental Law Programs at Haub Law, Achinthi Vithanage, noted, “Students participated from around the country, from Hawaii to Florida, and so did judges, with some even joining us internationally. I am pleased to say that 51 law schools competed and over 300 students, coaches, and judges participated this year. Many of our judges included Haub Law alumni who have been returning for over 20 years as volunteers.”

The preliminary, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds were held virtually on Zoom on Wednesday, February 23, Thursday, February 24, and Friday, February 25.  The final round took place on Saturday, February 26 and was presided by three judges: Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, Baker Botts LLP, Judge Mary Kay Lynch, EPA Environmental Appeals Board, and Professor James R. May, Visiting Professor of Law, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University (2022). 

Finalist teams included, Duke University School of Law (Maia Foster, Zoe Gabrielson, and Mikaela Johnson), Lewis & Clark Law School (Haley Nicholson, Kassie Kometani, and Matthew Campa), and Stetson University College of Law (Lauren Beames, Emily Witthoeft, and Mia Hartley). After the final round, the esteemed judges gave excellent critique and feedback to all teams. Ultimately, taking first place for the 2022 Competition as the winning team was Lewis & Clark Law School.

The Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition is grateful to the organizations and people whose generous financial support help make the event possible. This year, we were pleased to have the following major supporters: The American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER), Baker Botts LLP, and Riker Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti, LLP.

To see full competition results and learn more click here.

Watch 2022 NELMCC competition below

About Elisabeth Haub School of Law

Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University offers JD and Masters of Law (LLM) degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The School, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, N.Y., opened its doors in 1976 and has more than 9,000 alumni around the world. The School maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. Haub Law launched its Environmental Law Program in 1978, and it has long been ranked among the world’s leading university programs, with a current #1 ranking by U.S. News & World Report. Pace’s doctoral graduates teach environmental law at universities around the world. Pace’s JD alumni are prominent in environmental law firms, agencies and non-profit organizations across the U.S. and abroad. In 2016, the Law School received a transformational gift from the family of Elisabeth Haub, in recognition of its outstanding environmental law programs. For more information about Haub Law, visit https://law.pace.edu

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