UPDATE: Congratulations 2016 winners Max Gottlieb, Jenna Lorence and Bruce Mahr of Washington & Lee University School of Law, and runners-up Christian Hagen-Frederiks and Larmer of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA—Law students from across the country will be in Morgantown March 3-5 to compete in the sixth annual National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition, hosted by the West Virginia University College of Law.
Law students in the competition are tackling a legal problem that involves an environmental group's appeal of a federally approved interstate natural gas pipeline. Allegations include violations of the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act.
Preliminary rounds of the moot court competition will be held at WVU’s Erickson Alumni Center on Thursday, March 3, Friday, March 4, and Saturday, March 5. The final round will be held on March 5 at 2:30 p.m. in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom at the WVU College of Law. Admission to the final round is free and the public is invited to attend.
Nils Nichols, director of the Office of Administrative Litigation at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), will deliver the keynote address to competitors on March 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Erickson Alumni Center. Nichols is a 1981 graduate of the WVU College of Law. During his career at the FERC, he has specialized in environmental law, natural gas pipeline issues, and dispute resolution.
The first of its kind in the nation, the National Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition was established in 2011 by WVU’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development. It is hosted by the Moot Court Board, a WVU Law student organization.
Law schools sending 23 teams to the competition this year are: Appalachian School of Law, Catholic University, University of Colorado, Duquesne University, George Washington University, Louisiana State University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, University of North Dakota, Pace University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Utah, Washington and Lee University, College of William and Mary, and University of Wyoming. As host school, WVU Law is competing with an exhibition team.
The case problem was written by Laura Griffin, WVU energy and environmental law and policy fellow.
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