UNM School of Law Students Compete in National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition
March 24, 2026
The annual National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition took place on February 19-21, 2026, at Pace University in White Plains, New York. This year, a team of three UNM School of Law students, Alex Cannady, Evan Lavin, and Rachel Swanteson-Franz, participated in the competition. The team was supported by coaches Deana Bennett and Samantha Ruscavage-Barz.
After weeks of preparation, the team advanced to the semifinals—only the second time UNM has reached that stage—where they faced Lewis & Clark College. Lewis & Clark ultimately advanced to the championship round.
School of Law Professor Cliff Villa shared, “UNM School of Law is tremendously proud of our team. Their weeks and months of preparation clearly showed in their exceptional performance at the competition, earning the highest praise from a most unusual source: the coach for an opposing team. As the coach later wrote, ‘In the advanced rounds, we saw six other teams. In my opinion, UNM was easily the best.’”
The School of Law congratulates Evan Lavin, Alex Cannady, and Rachel Swanteson-Franz and extends sincere appreciation to coaches Deana Bennett and Samantha Ruscavage-Barz for their leadership and commitment to student success.
