Once again, Lewis & Clark shines at the National Environmental Moot Court Competition

March 17, 2014

Law students from around the country assemble at Pace Law School in White Plains, New York each February to compete in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC). The competition began in 1989 with 22 schools participating and, according to the Pace web-site, is “now the largest interschool moot court competition of any kind under one roof, regularly attracting in excess of 200 competitors from diverse law schools and 200 attorneys who serve as judges for the three days of oral arguments.”

Lewis & Clark law school’s environmental moot court team has been a contender for the national title many times over the last twenty years, advancing to the semi-finals over 15 times, and winning the competition seven times. This year was no different. The team of Laura Kerr (3L), Ben Saver (3L), and Daniel Rottenberg (2L) stormed into the semi-finals with the experienced coaching of Professor Craig Johnston. While the team did not advance to the finals, “it was an honor to represent Lewis & Clark at Pace, particularly given our school’s past success at the Competition,” according to Rottenberg.

 The team had completed over thirty practice rounds before moot judges from the faculty and alumni (including several past Lewis & Clark environmental law moot court members) who volunteered their time. “It was rewarding to see all of our hard work and preparation pay off,” commented Saver.

 Kerr reflected on the Pace experience: “it was energizing to be at a competition surrounded by so many students studying environmental law.”  The entire law school community is energized by the commitment and dedication of these amazing students and the success of our teams, year after year, in this national competition.