UNM Law School Environmental Law Moot Court Team Advances to Quarterfinals in National Competition

Annie Brethour and Brandon Ilgen, second year law students at the University of New Mexico S­chool of Law, advanced the UNM Environmental Moot Court team to the quarterfinals in the Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition.  Coached by Samantha Ruscavage-Barz (WildEarth Guardians) and Deana Bennett (Modrall Sperling), Annie and Brandon each were selected as Best Oralist in qualifying rounds for their skills in organization and preparation, courtroom presentation, handling of questions, and legal reasoning.

The Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition is a national environmental moot court competition held at Pace University, in White Plains, NY. It has established a national standard of excellence amongst moot court competitions. This year, approximately 60 teams competed, and the UNM team was one of 27 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Moot court competitions teach students to think on their feet and help them hone their legal analysis and speech skills. Deana said, “I am very proud of our team, and all of the hard work they put into preparing for this challenging competition. It was a pleasure to work with them and have the opportunity to see their skills and confidence grow throughout this process.”

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