Law students from across the country are competing March 27-29 in the annual National Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Competition hosted by the West Virginia University College of Law.
The first of its kind in the nation, the energy moot court competition was established in 2011 by WVU Law’s Center for Energy and Sustainable Development.
The moot court competition is designed help students sharpen their legal skills and network with industry professionals and government regulators. Students also learn about important business and environmental issues facing the energy sector.
Students this year are tackling legal problems faced by a fictitious state and a company that owns a thermal power plant and a hydropower facility. One issue involves the federal Clean Air Act and emissions from the power plant. Another issue deals with the federal Clean Water Act and proposed modifications of the hydropower facility to improve the operation of the thermal power plant.
The issues in the competition are based on recent court and regulatory cases, and illustrate environmental and sustainability challenges faced by today’s energy companies.
The case problem was written by Beren Argetsinger, energy and environmental law and policy fellow; James Van Nostrand, associate professor of law and director of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development; and third-year WVU Law student Joshua Cottle.
The competition will include up to 24 teams from law schools at the following universities: Louisiana State, Pace, Appalachian, North Dakota, American, Duquesne, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Houston, Pittsburgh, Campbell, Wyoming, West Virginia, Washburn, Notre Dame, and Utah. As host school, WVU Law is competing with exhibition status.
Preliminary rounds of the moot court competition will be held at WVU’s Erickson Alumni Center on Thursday, (March 27), Friday (March 28), and Saturday (March 29). The final round will be held on Saturday 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 open to the public.
Alexandra Dapolito Dunn is delivering the competition’s keynote address at the Dean’s Banquet at 5 p.m. on Friday in the Erickson Alumni Center. Dunn is the Executive Director and General Counsel-Designate for the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) and a nationally recognized expert on key critical environmental issues facing states.
The National Energy & Sustainability Moot Court Competition is sponsored by Chesapeake Energy and hosted by the Moot Court Board, a WVU Law student organization. Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is also a sponsor.
-WVU-
jj/03/24/14
CONTACT: James Jolly, College of Law
304.293.7439, James.Jolly@mail.wvu.edu
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.