Ireland takes top spot at 25th Annual International Environmental Moot Court Competition

Law Society of Ireland won this year’s competition. Pictured here, clockwise from top left: Stetson’s Professor Royal Gardner, Ireland’s Mairead Hughes, Ruth Cormican, Alysha Hoare, and coach T P Kennedy, and Stetson’s Visiting Professor Erin Okuno (aka the bat mascot).

The 25th Annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition (IEMCC) brought together 18 teams from around the world for three days of competition that culminated with Law Society of Ireland as this year’s winner.

Symbiosis Law School, Pune, India, was runner-up in the competition. Ireland also took Best Memorial, and team member Alysha Hoare was named Best Oralist in the Championship Round. Teams from 11 jurisdictions – Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan, and United States of America – competed. The full results are below.

The IEMCC Final Rounds are traditionally held on Stetson Law’s campus in Gulfport, Fla., but were moved online in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 25thcompetition also was held virtually March 25-27, 2021.

Students prepared and presented arguments on an issue dealing with the protection of bats and international trade measures. Dr. Rodrigo Medellín, known as the “Bat Man of Mexico,” helped develop the problem and served as one of the final round judges along with Amy Fraenkel, executive secretary of Convention on Migratory Species, Dr. Wil Burns, co-director of the Institute for Carbon Removal Law & Policy at American University, and David Wirth, professor at Boston College Law School.

All the judges agreed they were impressed with how the students focused on not only the law, but also the deeply technical aspects of the science involved. Fraenkel noted part of the key to a persuasive argument is to rely on the facts, not just the law itself.

Professor Royal Gardner, director of Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, said he hoped students would take those skills, along with everything else they learned this year about trade law and international environmental law as they prepared for the competitions, and use it throughout their careers. 

Teams from 11 jurisdictions – Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovenia, Taiwan, and United States of America – competed.

25th Annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition

International Finals – Virtual Rounds

March 25-27, 2021

Final Round:

  • International Finals Champion: Law Society of Ireland – 2186
  • Runner-up: Symbiosis Law School, Pune, India – 2100
  • Best Oralist in the Final Round: Alysha Hoare, Law Society of Ireland – 2186

Semifinalists:

  • National Law University, Delhi, India – 2156
  • O. P. Jindal Global University, India – 2177

Oralist Awards for the Preliminary Rounds:

  • Best Oralist in the Preliminary Rounds: Ruth Cormican, Law Society of Ireland – 2186
  • Second Place Oralist: Ayan Gupta, National Law University, Delhi, India – 2156
  • Third Place Oralist: Karthika Ellangovan, O. P. Jindal Global University, India – 2177
  • Fourth Place Oralist: Aaron Tan Kai Ran, Singapore Management University – 2109
  • Fifth Place Oralist: Elizabeta Korenčan, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law, Slovenia – 2171

Memorial Awards:

  • Best Memorial: Law Society of Ireland – 2186
  • Runner-up Best Memorial: O. P. Jindal Global University, India – 2177
  • Third Place Memorial: University of the Philippines College of Law – 2149

Spirit of Stetson Award:

  • Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Brazil – 2133
  • University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law, Slovenia – 2171

View photos from the competition

A gallery of photos from the virtual rounds of the competition is available on Zenfolio.

Post date: March 30, 2021

Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
[email protected] | 727-430-1580
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