Congratulations to WSRSL’s National Environmental Law Moot Court team: Mehana Witthans, Marie Sonson, and Emma Palmer.  Together with Team Assistant Jake Leclerc and Coach David Forman, the team traveled to Pace Law School in White Plains, New York for the national competition.  

This year’s problem dealt with a proposed interstate liquified natural gas pipeline whose route would cross a religious organization’s property and was expected to export 90% of its gas to Brazil.  The team addressed five issues outlined by the fictitious “Twelfth Circuit” which centered on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) decisions in approving the pipeline’s construction.  

Following the release of the problem in early October, teams had just seven weeks to prepare and submit their thirty-five-page brief addressing all five issues.  Teams could choose to represent either FERC, the Transnational Gas Pipeline (proposed pipeline), or the Holy Order of Mother Earth (religious organization) in their briefing but were expected to represent all three parties in the preliminary rounds at the oral competition.

On February 22-23, 2024, they argued and advanced to the Quarterfinal Round and placed sixteenth out of the fifty-four teams competing.  Only twenty-seven teams advance to the Quarterfinal Round. To determine which teams advance to the Quarterfinal Round, points are calculated as a combination of their brief score (40%) and the three Preliminary Rounds (60%).  Emma Palmer received recognition as Best Oralist against eventual Finalist Boston College during one of the team’s three Preliminary Rounds. 

The team expresses their sincere thanks to all of the practitioners who volunteered their time to serve as practice judges during the weeks leading up to the competition.  The team hopes to continue their success in next year’s competition.

MW 5/25/24