2004 National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition Results

During February 19 - 21, 73 teams from law schools around the country, including our own Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, competed in the 2004 National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition held at Pace University School of Law, White Plains, New York. The law student members of the University of Memphis team were David Stevenson, Leigh Thomas, and Tricia Thor.

The Competition requires three adverse teams to argue in each round representing, respectively, the federal government, a public environmental interest group, and a member of regulated industry. The 27 teams with the highest combined scores for both a written brief (submitted in December) and three preliminary oral argument rounds advanced to the Quarterfinal Round. The Memphis team advanced to the Quarterfinal Round after competing in the preliminary rounds against such law schools as American University, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan, the University of Oregon, and Seattle University. Presiding judges named Leigh Thomas of Memphis Best Oralist in two of the teams three preliminary rounds.

In the Quarterfinal Round, Memphis (David Stevenson and Tricia Thor arguing on behalf of the federal government) defeated Arizona State University and the University of Washington to advance with eight other winning quarterfinal teams to the Semifinal Round. In the Semifinal Round, Memphis (Leigh Thomas and Tricia Thor arguing on behalf of the public environmental interest group) faced three-time Competition champion Lewis & Clark Law School and defending 2003 Competition champion Willamette University. Following a round described by the presiding judge as extremely close between all three teams, Lewis & Clark advanced to the Final Round in which it eventually won its fourth Competition championship over Louisiana State University and the University of California, Berkeley.

The Pace competition is recognized as the preeminent environmental law moot in the United States. A Semifinal Round finish (including an extremely competitive loss to the eventual champion) is an outstanding result which reflects most favorably on the law school and its students. Congratulations to David, Leigh and Tricia.

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David W. Case
Assistant Professor of Law
University of Memphis
Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
Memphis, Tennessee  38152
901-678-3225
dwcase@memphis.edu