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 National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
February 19-21, 2004

Fact Sheet

The Sixteenth Annual National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC) will be held on Thursday, February 19 through Saturday, February 21, 2004 at Pace University School of Law, White Plains, New York.


Registration

The registration deadline is October 6, 2003.  Each participating school is required to complete and return a registration form to Pace, accompanied by the team registration fee of $375, payable by check to Pace University School of Law–NELMCC.  The registration fee covers most meals, including continental breakfasts, lunches and an evening reception.  Teams are responsible for their travel arrangements, hotel expenses and some meals.

Registration is limited to one team per school. Acceptance is based on a "first come, first served" basis.  Registrations received after October 6, 2003 will be accepted at the discretion of the NELMCC Board but will not be accepted after October 31, 2003.  Registration is not complete until the Competition office has received both the registration form and fee.  The Problem will be distributed on the scheduled distribution date only to schools whose registration is complete.  Late or incomplete registrants will receive the Problem when the fee is paid in full.  Please contact your school business/financial office promptly to initiate check processing.

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The Problem

The legal Problem drafted each year involves timely issues of national importance to the practice of environmental law.  Recent topics have included illegal dumping of hazardous waste, vicarious criminal liability of corporate officers for their company’s environmental crimes and commerce clause limits on water pollution regulation. 

 

The Problem and Rules will be distributed by mail and e-mail on or about October 10, 2003 to all schools who have registered and paid in full.  The Problem will later be posted on the Pace Law School web site.

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Briefs

Each team will write a brief for one of the respective parties’ legal positions.  The measuring brief and seven other copies of the brief identified only by team number (see Rule IV(B)) must be mailed or otherwise shipped to the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition at Pace University School of Law.  Packages containing briefs must bear a postmark or other indicia proving date of mailing no later than December 4, 2003.  The team should maintain proof of mailing, either a postal receipt or a tracking number assigned by the shipper for delivery verification.

Teams will serve their briefs on the other teams via a posting of the briefs on the Pace Law School web site.  Each school must e-mail one copy of its brief (NOT the measuring brief) by December 4, 2003, 11:59 p.m. (EST) to the Competition Coordinator (see contact information on last page).  Each team should insure that the e-mailed brief contains no identifying information, except the team number. Meeting this deadline will constitute fulfillment of the obligation to serve opposing teams.  A page will be created on the Pace web site with links to all the teams' briefs, identified only by the team number.  On December 11, the Coordinator will send to each team contact information on how to gain access to the briefs.  The content, legal analysis and accuracy of the briefs are graded by practicing environmental attorneys.

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Oral Rounds

Scoring in the preliminary rounds is based on a combination of the brief score and scores from the oral rounds.  Scoring in the quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds is based solely on oral performance.  Oral arguments begin with the preliminary rounds on Thursday, February 19, 2004 and conclude with the final round on Saturday afternoon, February 21, 2004.  Each argument will feature three adverse teams.  Judges evaluating the oral arguments include attorneys with environmental law expertise, local attorneys, members of the Pace environmental law faculty and judges from the Nation’s courts.  Final round judges will be members of the federal bench and the US EPA Environmental Appeals Board.

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Awards

Awards are conferred on the winners in each of the following categories:

                Winning Team
                Finalist Teams (two)
                Best Oralist
                David Sive Award for Best Brief Overall
                Best Briefs (representing the two remaining parties) 

The 2003 National Environment Law Moot Court perpetual trophy is currently at Willamette University College of Law.  This traveling trophy will be sent to the winner of the 2004 Competition.

Recent winners include:

Year Winner Finalists Best Brief Best Oralist
2003 Willamette University Drake University
Louisiana State
University of Hawaii Stetson
2002 Lewis & Clark University of North Carolina
Florida State
University of Washington University of Montana
2001 California (Berkeley) University of Michigan
Lewis & Clark
Yale University of Colorado
2000 University of Texas University of Alabama
Ohio State
Vermont University of Houston

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Location and Accommodations

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains, located within a 15-minute walk to the Law School, at a special room rate.  The hotel provides free bus shuttle service to and from the Competition. Teams must call the hotel directly to make reservations.  The hotel telephone number is 914-682-0050.  You must reserve by February 17, 2004 and mention the Pace Environmental Moot Court to receive the special rate. 

The law school campus is a convenient 40-minute train ride from midtown Manhattan.  Information about events and activities in New York City is available on the web at http://www.nycvisit.com/home/index.cfm.     

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On the Web  

The Competition maintains information from previous moots on the Pace web at www.law.pace.edu/environmentalm/.  The Competition final round is broadcast live on the web via streaming video/audio.  Access to the broadcast is on the Law School home page.

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Important Dates and Deadlines 

1.   Registration deadline October 6, 2003
2.   Problem and Rules distribution to registered teams   
      paid in full
October 10, 2003
3.   Briefs to be postmarked to Pace University 
      School of Law 
December 4, 2003
4.   Teams to e-mail their brief (NOT the measuring    
      brief) to Competition Coordinator by 11:59 pm 
      (EST) for posting on the Pace web site (in fulfillment
      of service on opposing teams)
December 4, 2003
5.   Pace to e-mail access information linking to briefs on 
      web site
December 11, 2003
6.   Hotel deadline for reservations at special rate February 17, 2004
7.   Advance Competition check-in at Crowne Plaza February 18, 2004
8.   Competition check-in at Pace University   February 19, 2004
9.  Oral arguments begin (Preliminary Rounds I & II) February 19, 2004
10. Preliminary Round III & Quarterfinal Round February 20, 2004
11. Semifinal & Final Rounds February 21, 2004

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Refunds for Withdrawal from Competition

Any request for withdrawal must be made in writing via mail or e-mail using the contact information below.  Refunds will be made according to the following schedule.

Withdrawal Date

Refund Portion of Fee
10/31/03 or before 100%
11/1/03 through 11/30/03 50%
12/1/03 through 12/31/03 25%
1/1/04 or after 0%


Contact
Information 

Please send registration forms and inquiries about the Competition to:   

National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
Leslie Crincoli, P212
Pace University School of Law
78 North Broadway, P212
White Plains, NY 10603
Phone: 914.422.4413
Fax: 914.422.4261
E-mail: lcrincoli@law.pace.edu
Web site:
http://www.law.pace.edu/environmentalm/index.html

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Leslie Crincoli
  (914) 422-4413 

 

 




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