MSU Environmental Law moot court team takes home best brief award

MSU’s Environmental Law moot court team won the David Sive Award for Best Brief Overall at the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC). David Sheaffer, ’17, Jacob Simon, ’17, and Caitlin Brown, ’16, triumphed over 65 other teams. The team also progressed to quarterfinals in oral argument.  

“NELMCC is the premier environmental moot competition in the nation and one of the largest moot competitions period,” Sheaffer said. “Our performance this weekend proved that MSU Law students can hold their own.” The competition included teams from Harvard, Yale, and Columbia.

“This experience showed me that hard work and tenacity are more important than the prestige of the school you attend,” Brown said. “(Moot court) allows you to gain experience that is (otherwise) hard to come by in law school.”

The competition, held at Pace University, pitted three different parties against each other each round. This was MSU Law’s first time at this competition.

Professor Paul Stokstad coached the team, and Noga Morag-Levine, James Chen, and Jennifer Copeland provided additional assistance. “Not enough can be said about the supportive environment created by Professor Copeland, (the assisting professors), and the entire moot court board,” Simon said.