The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University proudly hosted the 38th Annual Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC), one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious interschool moot court competitions devoted to environmental law.

This year’s competition welcomed teams from across the country to Pace Haub Law’s campus for three days of advocacy in front of attorney judges. Since its founding in 1989, NELMCC has set the national standard for excellence in environmental moot court competitions, challenging students to engage with complex and timely issues shaping environmental law and policy.

The 2026 NELMCC Championship title was awarded to Columbia Law School. The two finalist teams were University of Minnesota Law School and Lewis & Clark Law School. All three teams delivered outstanding performances in the final round, which was presided over by an esteemed panel of judges:

• The Honorable Eunice C. Lee, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
• The Honorable Kermit V. Lipez, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
• The Honorable Malachy E. Mannion, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
• The Honorable Joseph A. Marutollo, United States Magistrate Judge, Eastern District of New York
• The Honorable A. L. Merriam, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

As with every year, the competition was organized and led by Pace Haub Law students. The 2026 NELMCC Board was chaired by Thomas O’Connell, supported by a dedicated student leadership team overseeing hospitality, judging, scoring, fundraising, competition logistics, and more. The 2026 Problem was authored by Professor Todd Ommen, who also serves as Faculty Advisor, with the Bench Memorandum authored by Kiran Chalal, Environmental Law Program Fellow.

“NELMCC represents the very best of environmental advocacy and student leadership,” shared NELMCC Chair Thomas O’Connell. “It was an honor to work alongside such a dedicated board to welcome talented competitors from across the country and esteemed attorney judges. The level of preparation, professionalism, and passion we saw this year truly reflects the strength and future of environmental law.”

Over the course of the three-day competition, lively discussions and panels were also held amongst coaches and judges, an environmental career session was hosted by the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, a Law Professor Workshop, as well as a CLE were also held. The Competition ended with a Reception and Awards Ceremony. In addition to the winning teams, awards went to: Julie Lane, Drake University Law School (Best Oralist), Andie Madsen, SJ Quinney College of Law (Honorable Mention for Best Oralist), and American University Washington College of Law (2026 David Sive Award for Best Brief Overall).

The Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition is grateful to the organizations and people whose financial support help make the event possible. This year, NELMCC was pleased to have the continued partnership of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) and AlterEcho, who were premier sponsors.

For Pace University alum and proud native New Yorker Lolita Tiwari (’16, ’21), New York City represents more than a home—it was the foundation for a career built on curiosity, community, and innovation. “I always felt that whatever I wanted to learn or experience, I could start in one of the five boroughs around me. Since I went to elementary school in Brooklyn and high school in Queens, it only made sense for Manhattan to be my borough of choice for college.”

When considering which university was right for her, Pace stood out for both its academics and its integration with the city. Lolita earned her BA in Economics and Statistics from the Dyson School of Arts and Sciences in 2016, and later returned to complete her MS in Enterprise Analytics at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems in 2021 (now rebranded as the MS in Data Science). She said that “Pace stood out in the way where you couldn’t tell where the campus ended and where the city began; they are so beautifully integrated. I could step out of a 3-hour economics class and see City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge. It felt as if the city was built around Pace, so I didn’t have to wait until after graduation to start building my career since some of the most exciting companies were a few blocks or train stops away from campus.”

At Pace I was exposed to an environment that opened doors to a world I didn't know existed.

Finding Her Community at Seidenberg

While completing her undergraduate degree at Dyson, Lolita worked as a student assistant at Seidenberg—an experience that ultimately inspired her to pursue her master’s degree there. “I was exposed to an environment that opened doors to a world I didn't know existed. At Seidenberg, students gathered to play video games, build apps, start their own companies, and solve real-world problems. All of that between classes. The spirit of innovation of 20-year-olds lit a spark in me that still lives on today.”

Seidenberg’s culture of collaboration continues to shape how Lolita approaches her career. “It was an environment where there was no ego—just passion, curiosity, and connection. Whoever you were, you were welcome and you were equal. Anyone could create, anyone could build, anyone could solve. The value of connection and relationships showed me that the return from investing into building community is priceless and time spent this way is the best investment we can make. I’ve taken this with me into my career: in every room I walk into, I know and expect everyone to treat others as equals. If there is a room or situation where this isn’t the case, I know with certainty that isn’t the right room for me.”

Both of my Pace degrees shaped me to have a lens of asking the right questions to build, fix, and innovate.

Leading at the Global Scale

Through her studies in economics, statistics, and enterprise analytics, Lolita developed a problem-solving mindset grounded in data and global awareness. “In both of my degrees, I learned that as a society, we can’t solve anything in a silo. In my economics program, I learned that to understand and solve societal problems we have to follow and understand many changes on both the federal and global level. In my enterprise analytics program, I learned the importance of inclusive and thorough data collection to understand and solve problems. Both degrees shaped me to have a lens of asking the right questions to build, fix, and innovate.”

After completing her undergraduate degree, Lolita spent a decade working in advertising technology for media and entertainment companies including Fox Corporation and Hulu/Disney, before joining Google. She spent three years working on Partnerships for Google Ad Manager’s platform, helping News and Weather publishers monetize their site traffic. Today, she is on the Global Product Partnerships team at Google, leading partnerships for Google Maps, Google Earth, and Waze across North America.

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Even though Lolita’s work supports global platforms used by millions, the mindset she developed at Pace remains central to her success: “In my career today, I still use the lens and skill of asking the right questions and collecting the right data to make informed decisions.”

Giving Back and Looking Ahead

Lolita remains deeply connected to Seidenberg since graduating, continuing to emphasize the importance of community and mentorship. “I am still very invested in the growth and longevity of the Seidenberg community and enjoy participating and giving back where I can. I have also been the Seidenberg Alumni Committee co-chair since 2023 and a Seidenberg Advisory Board Member since 2022.”

Her advice to current students and recent graduates is simple but powerful: “Take the time to learn about yourself and understand what brings you joy. There are things in life that are decided for us, but for the things we do have a say in, like our careers, it is important to remember that we get to make decisions and shape our own path.”