Pace Haub Law Student Advocates Reach Semifinals in the VI Moot de Derecho Ambiental Científica in Lima, Peru

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A team of student advocates from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University reached the semifinals of the VI Moot de Derecho Ambiental Científica, a fully Spanish-language international environmental law competition hosted by the Universidad Científica del Sur in Lima, Peru. Pace Haub Law was the first American law school to place as a finalist in the competition, finishing third overall in the written submissions and fifth overall in the Competition.

The student team included Nicholas Caicedo, Endy Abreu, Sorangel Liriano, and Matthew Alexander Corrales and was coached by Pace Haub Law Alumnus Edgar Aguilar Ramirez. The team competed against international law schools in a simulated proceeding before the Tribunal Interamericano de Justicia Ambiental, held at the Tribunal Constitucional del Perú, one of the country’s highest constitutional courts.

Throughout the competition, the team drafted briefs and developed oral arguments on both sides of a complex environmental law problem, addressing issues including the rights of nature, glacier protection, and state regulatory authority in environmental governance. All advocacy was conducted in Spanish and required careful attention to comparative legal reasoning and institutional context.

Pace Haub Law student advocate Nicholas Caicedo noted that the work went beyond traditional advocacy skills. “Working on these issues in Spanish required attention not only to doctrine, but also to comparative reasoning,” he shared. “It shaped how I approach legal analysis through language, institutional context, and comparative systems.”

Sorangel Liriano, Pace Haub Law student advocate, reflected on the experience’s global impact. “Environmental law is a shared international conversation. Advocating before an international tribunal in my mother tongue on urgent climate issues was both a challenge and a privilege. We built deep team camaraderie and learned alongside students from around the world, leaving Lima not only stronger advocates, but part of a growing international community committed to environmental justice.”

Louis Fasulo, Director of Advocacy Programs and Professor of Trial Practice at Pace Haub Law, emphasized the significance of the team’s achievement. “This result reflects the strength of our advocacy training and our students’ ability to operate at the highest level in international and comparative legal settings,” said Professor Fasulo. “Reaching the semifinals in a fully Spanish-language competition in the setting of a constitutional court abroad is an extraordinary accomplishment and speaks to the rigor, preparation, and professionalism of this team.”

For the students, the experience reinforced a shared commitment to international environmental law and public interest advocacy. “Representing Pace Haub Law in this setting was both a significant and meaningful professional milestone, and one that affirmed our interest in international law, environmental governance, and compliance,” shared Nicholas.