March 17, 2014

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

Lewis & Clark law school’s environmental moot court team has been a contender for the national Environmental Moot Court title many times over the last twenty years, advancing to the semi-finals 23 times, making it to the final round 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,” remarked Rottenberg.

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 23 times, making it to the final round 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.

 

Laura Kerr went on to win the Lewis & Clark Environmental Moot Court Advocate of the year later in the spring, arguing against her former team mates in front of a distinguished panel that included Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Scott Matheson, Jr., of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge Jeremy Fogel of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. Kerr later reflected on the national moot court experience: “it was energizing to be at a competition surrounded by so many students studying environmental law.”  Likewise, the Lewis & Clark community is energized by the dedication of these amazing students, Craig Johnston’s commitment to excellence, and the success of our teams, year after year.