February 22, 2010

Students Win Third in A Row – National Environmental Law Moot Court

Lewis & Clark law students triumphed over 83 other teams to win their third national environmental law moot competition in a row.

For the third year in a row, Lewis & Clark’s team has won the Pace National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. Students Ben Luckett, Lizzy Zultoski, and John Krallman triumphed over 83 other teams to win the Pace National Environmental Moot Court Championship February 20th. 

After advancing to the quarterfinal round with 26 other teams, this year’s team defeated the University of Utah and Loyola of New Orleans in the quarterfinals, then Santa Clara and the University of Miami in the semifinals, and the University of Houston and the University of Wyoming in the finals.  With 84 teams participating in the competition this year, Lewis & Clark triumphed over more schools than any other championship team in the competition’s history. 

This marks the third year in a row that Lewis & Clark has won this competition, and the seventh time in the last 17 years.  As an indication of the difficulty of this accomplishment, only one other law school has won twice.  This 2009 report, including a video interview with long-time coach Craig Johnston, gives more information about the competition and Lewis & Clark’s record.

Team member Lizzy Zultoski is now a two-time national champion at this competition.  She is only the third Pace advocate to qualify for this honor in the competition’s 22-year history.  She joins alumni Nancy Perry and Jenifer Johnston in that elite group.