IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law students Alexander Passo ’14, Gregory Sussman ’14 and Acacia Thornton ’14 will represent the law school in the 26th annual National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. The tournament, sponsored by Pace Law School, will be held February 20 – 22 in White Plains, New York.

Established in 1989, the tournament is recognized as the preeminent environmental law competition in the United States. More than 200 students from across the United States and Canada compete in the annual tournament. The competition is designed to test students’ appellate brief writing and oral advocacy skills on issues in the field of environmental law. Past competitions have included cases related to the illegal dumping of hazardous waste, criminal liability of corporate officers for their company’s environmental crimes, and commerce clause limits on water pollution regulation.

From left: Gregory Sussman '14, Acacia Thornton '14 and Alexander Passo '14 will represent IIT Chicago-Kent in the 2014 National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition.

Team member Alexander Passo graduated from Purdue University with a double major in history and in law and society. Teammate Gregory Sussman received a bachelor of arts degree in history from Kenyon College. Teammate Acacia Thornton graduated with honors from California State University, Northridge, with a degree in business administration and marketing. The team is coached by IIT Chicago-Kent Professor Keith Harley, co-director of the Program in Environmental and Energy Law, and third-year student Martha Drouet.

In the mid-1980s, IIT Chicago-Kent established one of the first specialty programs in environmental and energy law, and has long been recognized as a leader in the field. The Chicago Environmental Law Clinic, launched in 1999, provides access to justice to clients who would otherwise be unrepresented in urban environmental matters that directly affect the health, safety and welfare of their families and communities.