Moot Court

The International Environmental Law Moot Court Team — began competing in 2000 against U.S. and international law schools at the Stetson College of Law competition each October in Florida. In that first year, team member Leilani Tan, class of 2002, won the Best Oralist Award among all competitors. In 2002, our team was the top-scoring U.S. team and second in the international competition that included teams from India, Spain, Ireland, and Australia. In 2003, the team won third place overall on a topic involving high seas drift net fishing. In 2004, the team won the prestigious Best Memorial Brief award addressing an international dispute involving wetlands and biodiversity. Ranae Doser, class of 2005, noted: “The international aspect of this competition was a phenomenal experience. We tested our professional skills against law students around the globe on truly difficult international law controversies. The competition is a rare, and fun, opportunity to experience personally the exciting future of international law.”

Introducing the 2009 International Environmental Moot Court Team

Pictured from Left:
Laura Allen, Leslie Cole Brooks, Amy Brinker, Seth Harris, Jennifer Woo, Doug Codiga

2008 International Environmental Law Moot Court Team Succeeds at Santa Clara

Congratulations to the International Environmental Moot Court Team members Angela Thompson and Leslie Cole Brooks! Angela and Leslie competed at the Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition Regional Rounds, held at Santa Clara law school in California. Although the team did not advance to the International Final Rounds, our very own Leslie Cole Brooks was recognized as one of the top three oralists in the preliminary rounds. Congratulations to both team members on a job well done! The team devoted countless hours to writing the team's memorial (brief) and practicing oral arguments. The team's commitment and dedication served them well -- we are very proud that such fine advocates represented our law school.
Credit and special mahalo goes to alumni coaches Seth Harris and Doug Codiga, and faculty members Professor Van Dyke, Judge Burns, Professor Jarman, and Dean Soifer, who gave the team invaluable guidance and support. The team also expressed its gratitude to all those who volunteered to judge oral argument practices. Their generous donation of time helped the team to represent Hawaii well at the competition.

On behalf of the team, ELP, and the coaches -- Congrats Angela and Leslie!!!

2007 International Environmental Moot Court Team Competes in Florida

ELP's IEL Moot Court returned from a fierce competition at Stetson Law School in Tampa Bay Florida. This year's team consisted of only two members, Matthew Shannon and Nick Monlux, and was coached by previous team member Kamaile Nichols. This year's competition consisted of over over thirty teams from the United States, Australia, Asia, and Latin America. The problem was one of the most difficult to date, involving multiple elements of treaty and contract law as well as international trade regulations. Our team competed very well and won two overall rounds in addition to almost all of their oral argument match-up's. They continued our school's excellent reputation at moot court competitions and showed true commitment and pride in their efforts. Despite their hard work and great representation of Hawai`i, however, they were not able to advance to the final round.

ELP's 2005 International Environmental Moot Court Team Places 8th in the World!

Pictured left to right: Jeff Beerman, Ranae Doser-Pascual (Top- Coach), Jen Tsou, and Aubrey Wood
Alumni coach Ranae Doser-Pascual returned from Florida very proud of the International Environmental Law Moot Court Team members Jennifer Tsou, Jeff Beerman, and Aubrey Wood for their exceptional performance in the 2005 International Environmental Moot Court competition recently held at Stetson College of Law in Florida. More than 60 teams around the world competed in the 10th annual Stetson competition. This was the first year that teams had to compete in a Regional Qualifying competition in order to win an invitation to the International Finals. Hawaii competed in the U.S. Qualifying Rounds against 16 U.S. teams at Stetson’s Tampa campus. Hawaii’s strong finish as quarterfinalists during the U.S. Regional Qualifying competition won them a place in the International Finals.

The International Finals were held at Stetson’s Gulport campus where the team went on to compete against seven other U.S. teams, including Pepperdine, Southwestern, Hastings and Michigan State, and eight international teams from India, Australia, and Ireland. Hawaii made an impressive show in the preliminary rounds, once again making it to the quarterfinals. It was in this quarterfinal round that Hawaii faced a team that we ended up meeting four out of the eight rounds Hawaii argued throughout the four day competition. Hawaii proffered an outstanding argument, but ultimately fell to Cleveland-Marshall by the smallest of margins. Cleveland-Marshall eventually went on to win 2nd place overall in the International Finals with one of their team members winning the best final round oralist award.

The team’s performance was no less impressive then its past performances, placing among the top 8 teams out of the more than 60 teams that participated in this international competition. The UH law school team has consistently placed among the top teams in the competition in the oral argument rounds, and won the award for the Best Memorial in 2004. The team expressed its gratitude for the support of the entire law school community, especially Dean Soifer, Prof. Antolini, the Environmental Law Program, adjunct faculty advisor Doug Codiga, assistant coach Seth Harris, and all of the attorneys and others who generously donated their time to help the team prepare for the competition.

Congratulations to the 2004 International Environmental Moot Court Team!

Pictured left to right: Coach Doug Codiga and Team Members Jennifer Tsou, Ranae Doser, and Chris Terry

International Environmental Law Moot Court Team members Christopher Terry, Ranae Doser, and Jennifer Tsou won the award for 'Best Memorial Brief' at the 9th Annual International Environmental Law Moot Court competition held at Stetson Law School in Florida. At this competition, twenty-four student teams from around the world each submitted a 25-page memorial brief analyzing and applying international law to an environmental problem involving the protection of wetlands and biodiversity. University of Hawai`i students competed against teams from Rutgers, NYU, Pepperdine, Loyola, Widener, and Pace, as well as international teams from India, Spain, Ireland, and Australia. At the awards ceremony, it was announced that the University of Hawaii law school memorial brief was judged best in the competition by a panel of legal scholars and attorneys. The team also learned that their memorial brief was selected for publication in an upcoming edition of the Colorado Journal of International Environmental Law. The award for best memorial brief is a proud accomplishment and tribute to the team's talent, hard work and dedication.

At the competition, a law student from Calcutta, India noted that there is a memorial brief posted on the web that was written by the UH Jessup moot court team several years ago. She remarked that it is carefully studied as a model brief by moot court teams across India, and congratulated Chris, Ranae, and Jennifer for continuing UH's tradition of excellence.

Upon returning from thecompetition, the team expressed its gratitude for support provided by the entire law school community, especially Dean Soifer, Prof. Antolini, Prof. Jarman, Prof. Van Dyke, the Environmental Law Program, the Student Bar Association, assistant coaches Josh Medeiros and Seth Harris, and all of the attorneys and others who generously donated their time to help the team prepare for the competition.

2003 Moot Court Team Places Third at International Competition

The 2003 International Environmental Law Moot Court Team tied for third place in the world at the International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition at Stetson University in Florida. The team's Memorial brief was judged 9th best in the competition. This is the third time in four years our team has finished among the top four teams in the competition.

Teammates Josh, Chris, and Ranae (left to right in first picture) decorated with trophies and leis after their success in Florida.

Team captain Josh Medeiros, Ranae Doser and Chris Terry successfully competed against a field of over forty-six law schools from the United States, India, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and Canada to advance to the semi-final round. In the preliminary rounds, the team prevailed against Pepperdine, the University of Maryland, and teams from Australia and New Zealand. The problem involved the legality of the use of drift net fishing on the high seas under international environmental law. The newly-independent island nation of "New Madeira" (represented by our team) argued that as a small, developing country it was entitled to use drift net fishing to feed its population. "Orlando," a large, wealthy neighboring nation with active environmentalists sought to ban all drift net fishing to preserve dwindling fish stocks. The team's success reflects the commitment and dedication of Josh, Ranae, and Chris, who devoted countless hours to writing the team's Memorial brief and practicing oral arguments before Prof. Van Dyke, Prof. Jarman, Mary McLeod, Esq., and other members of the law school community who served as practice judges and advised the team.

Credit and a special mahalo also goes to assistant coaches Seth Harris '00, Leilani Tan Ching '01, Kim Moffie '01, Kim David Chanbonpin '02 and Kanoe Kane '02 who gave the team invaluable guidance and support. The team's outstanding performance and continued success is a proud achievement and a tribute to the students, the Environmental Law Program, and to the entire law school community.

The Team with their beautiful globe trophy. From left to right: Josh Medeiros, Kim Chanbonpin, and Kanoeloani Kane.

In 2002, the International Environmental Moot Court Team placed first among all U.S. teams and second in the World, as a Finalist at the 2002 Stetson International Environmental Moot Court competition. This year's team of Kanoelani Kane, '03, Kim David Chanbonpin, '03, and Josh Medeiros, '04 successfully competed against a field of over twenty-five law schools from the United States, India, Canada and New Zealand. Building on last year's experience in which the 2001 team placed among the top four, this year's team advanced to the Final Round.

The Team with their beautiful globe trophy. From left to right: Josh Medeiros, Kim Chanbonpin, and Kanoelani Kane.

In the preliminary rounds, the team prevailed against Rutgers University, National University (2001 Champion team from India), and the University of San Diego. In the exciting Final Round, team oralists Kim and Josh argued in a packed moot court room before leading international law jurists on issues relating to the transportation of ultrahazardous waste. Competing against a team from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, the team narrowly missed taking first place.

In 2000, the School of Law sponsored its first team in the International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition at Stetson College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida. Team members Seth Harris and Maria Estanislao, both of the class of 2001, and Leilani Tan, class of 2002, ranked high in competition against twenty other teams from the United States and abroad. Tan garnered the honor of Best Oralist among all competitors in the preliminary rounds. In 2001, team members Leilani Tan and Kimberly Moffie, both of the class of 2002, and Kanoelani Kane, class of 2003, returned to the competition and finished in the Top 4.