With 22 competitors from across the country, WVU Law’s Moot Court Board is sure to pull out all the stops this St. Patrick’s weekend.
I can personally vouch for the quality of the red carpet we at WVU roll out for this event. I was lucky enough to help baliff last year, and although I was bewildered by being thrown into my bailiff-ing job last minute, it gives me an opportunity to compare our competition to several other moot court competitions I was able to compete in this year.
Some competitions, which shall remain unnamed, while professional during rounds, were not especially welcoming to it’s participants – hospitality would reach no further than a few packs of crackers one afternoon. The competition had no central gathering for networking or meet and greet with the other competitors, save for a last minute announcement of winners.
Compare this to the the upcoming WVU Energy Moot Court Competition where there are at least three full receptions one of which is sure include a pretty decent dinner and a chance to get dressed up and work a room full of not only competitors, but judges and industry professionals. Maybe I’m being a little to shallow (or at least food-centric) in my critique, but I’m particularly proud of WVU for putting it’s best foot forward for an event represents our school and state to visiting teams from around the country. If nothing else, it makes the WVU Energy Competition tons of fun to compete in.
More substantively than just how swanky the events are, the problem this year also hits close to home (despite being in the infamous 12th Circuit). Appellant, Franklin Gas Company, Inc., seeks to overturn rulings against itself. First, a ruling that found two of Franklin’s production facilities (a natural gas sweetening plant and a sour gas production well) to be a single stationary source for purposes of the permitting program under the Clean Air Act. Second, Franklin is appealing a ruling against it for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act for the “taking” (killing) of several migratory birds found dead at or near one of Franklin’s impoundment ponds.
For those who are interested in seeing a bit of the action, be sure to check out the final round which will take place at 2:30 on March 16th.
For additional information, check out the event’s website at the following link:http://energycomp.wvu.edu/
