HARVARD FEDERALIST SOCIETY
2016 ELECTIONS
CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
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Candidates
President
Trenton Van Oss
Executive Vice President
Alex Bauer
Academics Chair
Gregory Escobar
Vice President for Membership
Robert Batista
Kelsey Curtis
Jason Halligan
Cameron Pritchett
Vice President for Speakers
David Phillips
Vice President for Social Activities
Michelle Onibokun
Vice President for Communications
George Maliha
Legal Practice Chair
Hussein Elbakri
Stephen Hammer
Debate Chair
Josh Craddock
Vice President of Development
No Candidates
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President
Trenton Van Oss
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Trenton Van Oss
Dear Federalists,
Since arriving on campus as a 1L and consistently since then, the Federalist Society has been a
staple of my law school experience. It’s served as a community of friends, as a resource for
academic- and career-related goals, and as a font of ideas and debates that just don’t happen
elsewhere. As I see it, those three things—community, resources, and intellectual diversity—are
at the core of the Federalist Society’s identity and mission, and represent the value we add to the
Harvard Law School community. Because I see all three as worthwhile, and because I want to be
a part of ensuring they remain and are strengthened for future HLS students, I’m honored and
excited to ask for your support as I run for president.
Josh has worked tirelessly in his year as president, and it’s always difficult to improve upon
success. With that in mind, I share below some areas I intend to focus on as president. As always,
I hope this will be a collaborative effort—not only with the newly elected Board, but also with
the body at large—and I look forward to soliciting feedback and ideas from anyone who, like me,
wants to help maintain and build upon the strong reputation of our chapter.
COMMUNITY
Enter the school year with a strong focus on recruiting 1Ls.
The HLS chapter consistently stands out for its ability to attract the most new members,
and that starts with 1Ls. I would work with the Social and Membership VPs to hit 2016
running with events targeted for 1Ls and recruitment across all seven sections. This could
include more section dinners, 1L mixers at the beginning of the semester, and
strengthening our mentorship programs to connect 1Ls with upperclassmen.
Improve coordination with JLPP and Abigail Adams.
The unfortunate reality is that Harvard Law School is not overflowing with conservative,
libertarian, or even moderate students. That means we need to capitalize on the resources
we do have. As president, I would work to increase our coordination with other rightleaning organizations on campus to broaden our impact and build a wider community.
Develop personal relationships with new members.
We have some students every year who express initial interest in the Federalist Society,
but gradually fade away. One of the best ways to keep members involved—and one of
the things that made the Federalist Society such a “home base” for me—is to make sure
new members know that we value them and want them to keep coming. I would
encourage the Board to make personal connections with as many new members as
possible, quickly integrating them into our community.
RESOURCES
Market the outline bank.
Our outline bank is the best on campus. 1Ls are hungry for outlines. We can and should
leverage this to promote interest in the Federalist Society early. I would make outline
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requirements clear to 1Ls early first semester and emphasize this benefit of joining the
Federalist Society.
Increase clerkship and job-related resources.
We’re all going to be professional resources for one another as we move forward in our
careers. When one of us succeeds, it helps all of us. I would work to make clerkship
resources available to 1Ls early and on a continuing basis throughout the year. I would
also work to improve the “Members Only” section of the website to make it something
that our members 1) know more about, and 2) use. There’s no reason for each of us to go
through all the same mazes alone.
Expand opportunities for RA work.
It’s important that Federalist Society members get connected with professors who can
become resources and mentors for them, especially given how early the clerkship game
has become. But there just aren’t enough right-leaning professors at HLS to make this
possible for all of our members. Last year, the Federalist Society developed a database of
law professors at top schools around the country who would accept applications from
HLS students. I would work to reinvigorate and expand this list and to make it easily
accessible to our membership, increasing the opportunities for members to do substantive
research and develop relationships with right-leaning faculty.
INTELLECTUAL DIVERSITY
Bring unique, high-quality speakers to campus.
The Federalist Society is known on campus for hosting top-notch events. One of my
favorite aspects of serving on the Board this past year has been the opportunity to reach
out to scholars and practitioners around the country and bring them to campus to share
views that get passed over in the classroom. Josh—whose libertarianism complemented
my conservatism—was incredibly helpful in working with me to ensure that we picked a
slate of speakers that would appeal to all of our membership. I hope to have the
opportunity to work with the next VP for Speakers to do the same, and bring the
experience I gained over the past year to make our speakers program next year the best it
can be.
Work with the administration to make HLS friendlier to right-leaning law students.
One of the jobs of the president is to be the face of the Federalist Society to the HLS
administration. In that role, there are areas I would like to see changed that would make
our lives and experiences at HLS better. Some are mundane—changing afternoon classes
to begin at 1:10 instead of 1:00, for example, so that our noon events aren’t constantly
interrupted. Others are more substantive—seeking out outstanding conservative,
libertarian, and moderate faculty across the country to serve as visiting professors at HLS,
and asking the administration to consider hiring a larger number of such professors to
better mirror the student body. I’d also like to see the religious liberty clinic, which
recently had a J-term test-run by the Beckett Fund, become one of the permanent clinics
available to students. As president, I would work to make sure our voice isn’t overlooked
as the administration makes decisions that will shape the HLS experience for future
students.
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WORKING WITH THE BOARD
Of course, I don’t plan to do any of this alone. Among the reasons I was drawn to the Federalist
Society as a 1L was the first-rate quality of our membership. I’ve been honored to work with
such an incredible group of people on the Board this past year, and as president, I would be
excited to work with the new Board in carrying out all of these goals, as well as helping each
Board member realize the goals and potential they bring to the table. I’ve served on a number of
collaborative groups and projects between undergrad and law school—as a member, as a Board
member, and as president. I would bring what I’ve learned from those experiences to the Board
next year, and work hard to make our Board the most effective we can be. I would, in sum, be
thrilled to serve as the next president, and I hope to have the opportunity to work with all of
you—Board as well as members—to continue our legacy of success and explore new ways to
adapt and improve.
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Executive Vice President
Alex Bauer
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Alex Bauer
Dear Federalists,
It has been an honor to serve as the Vice President of Membership and I sincerely hope to
continue improving our chapter next year as Executive Vice President. The Federalist Society
has been an important part of my law school experience—both in finding an academic
community that thrives on intellectual diversity and in finding a social community of lifelong
friends.
Lindsay has done a great job as EVP and I hope to expand upon the work she has accomplished.
I want to continue the strong organization of the finances and the yearly budget that Lindsay and
Paul created this year. I will work hard to ensure the Convention and Symposium trips are
organized clearly and well attended. I will also assist the president and board members with
specialized projects.
Thanks for your consideration,
Alex
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Academics Chair
Gregory Escobar
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Gregory Escobar
Dear Federalists,
I am running for Academics Chair because I want to provide you with the best academic
resources available in the smoothest, most efficient way possible. The Federalist Society Outline
Bank has been one of the most beneficial resources to me since starting law school and I want to
ensure it continues to be valuable to others for years to come.
This past year, I worked under the current Chair, Rebecca Jeffries, as one of her Deputies of
Course Related Resources. In this role, I had the opportunity to see firsthand the work that goes
into organizing and distributing outlines and academic material. Before law school, I've had six
years of experience running similar systems for various debate club research pools to gather
research briefs, organize them, and distribute them to pool participants. I know how to make the
academic resource system work smoothly and it would be my honor and pleasure to serve the
Federalist Society community in this way next year.
Thank you for your consideration!
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Vice President for Membership
Robert Batista
Kelsey Curtis
Jason Halligan
Cameron Pritchett
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Robert Batista
My name is Robert Batista and I am currently the Harvard Federalist Society’s 1L section
representative for Section 4. I am running for Vice President of Membership because I am
passionate about Fed Soc’s role at HLS. Fed Soc is perhaps the easiest and most obvious way
for conservative, libertarian, and moderate 1Ls to begin forming meaningful relationships
in the legal world. Furthermore, Fed Soc’s role at HLS is more critical than ever at a time when
the very concepts of free exchange of ideas and reasoned debate are coming under attack.
As Vice President of Membership, I would have five main goals:
(1) To make Fed Soc a welcoming community where meaningful relationships can form
(2) To foster a community of cross-section interaction for 1Ls
(3) To continue to grow Fed Soc’s membership
(4) To continue to encourage high attendance at events and social functions
(5) To help ensure that Fed Soc remains a visible and respected presence at HLS
I am also running for VP of Membership because I have relevant experience growing
membership for right-of-center organizations. In college, I was in charge of recruitment for a
conservative speech and debate society for three semesters. This society is similar to Fed Soc in
that it provides a valuable space for debate and discussion on topics that would otherwise
have no forum on campus. As VP of Membership, I would use what I learned from this
experience to accomplish the five goals I stated above.
Here are some specifics about my plans and ideas for accomplishing these goals:
 Cross-section dinners for 1Ls – I want to extend the concept of 1L section dinners to
cross-section dinners so that 1Ls can get to know better their fellow 1L Fed Soc members
in other sections. Fostering a sense of cross-section community for 1Ls is an area where I
think Fed Soc can make improvements.

Form one-on-one relationships with 1Ls – When I was in charge of recruitment for my
society in college, I found that the most effective way to help make my organization a
welcoming community was to reach out to individuals for one-on-one conversations,
whether over lunch or coffee. Getting to know 1Ls would also allow me to shoot them a
personalized email if I think they might enjoy a particular speaker based on their
interests.

Start the mentorship system earlier – Hearing from my Fed Soc mentor was very
helpful going into the high-stress part of the year (first semester exams + summer job
search). I think it would be useful though to start this system earlier in the fall semester to
facilitate interaction between 1Ls and upperclassmen as soon as possible. For example, it
might make a 1L more likely to attend an event or social function if they receive a heads
up or invitation from someone with whom they have a slightly closer connection, rather
than just the VP of Social Activities or the VP of Membership. Integrating 1Ls into the
existing community of 2L and 3L members is another area where I think Fed Soc can
make improvements.
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
Get the attention of 1Ls early – Last year, the Welcome BBQ and at least one speaker
event took place before the student org fair and before many 1Ls, including myself, were
added to the email list. Before the first emails go out, I would put on the email list anyone
who visited our table at Admitted Students Weekend. I would also use social media to
advertise the Welcome BBQ and use any contacts I might have in the incoming 1L class
to spread the word.

Continue current VP of Membership responsibilities – I would work hard to help
organize a successful Welcome BBQ and student org fair; help plan interest group
dinners and section dinners; track attendance at events; and encourage attendance at
events, social functions, and Convention/Symposium.
Finally, just a little more about me. I graduated from Yale in 2015 with a degree in Political
Science. I enjoy playing tennis and soccer. In addition to Fed Soc, I have been involved with
JLPP and the Harvard Defenders during my 1L year. While the above plans and ideas are a
starting point, I am more than open to critiques, suggestions, and additional ideas that anyone
might have.
Thank you for your consideration and support.
Robert
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Kelsey Curtis
I am a 1L from Montgomery, Alabama, who graduated from The University of Alabama
last spring, and I am running for Vice President of Membership. Moving to Cambridge and
starting law school was overwhelming at times, and I knew before I came that I wanted to be part
of a smaller network of students that would both challenge and encourage me. At Admitted
Students Weekend I met Alex Bauer and Makala Kaupalolo at the FedSoc table. Their
friendliness and exuberance made me want to check out FedSoc once I got to Harvard. When I
did, I found the members to be friendly, fun, and willing to go above and beyond to help me feel
comfortable and excel. Whether a lunch or social event, I never felt out of place.
FedSoc constantly welcomed me and encouraged me to get involved, from interest group
dinners, which allowed me to get to know some 2Ls and 3Ls more closely and provided much
needed advice, to Convention, which strengthened my relationships with other members and
allowed me networking opportunities. Without the excitement at the ASW table, encouragement
to attend events, and welcome I felt each time I came, I would not have been as involved, and
thus, I would not have been able to navigate 1L year nearly as well or formed the friendships I
have. That is the reason that I am running for Vice President of Membership. I want to help next
year’s 1Ls to feel welcome and connect them with FedSoc members with whom they have
commonalities. I want to encourage them to go to Convention even though it seems like an awful
idea in the middle of 1L classes. FedSoc gave me much needed support, advice, friendship, and
fun during 1L. I want to help make sure we keep doing that.
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Jason Halligan
I am running for the VP of Membership in order to serve our members and
grow our organization. I am a very active member of FedSoc, attended most
events this year, and am currently serving as the FedSoc Deputy of Executive
Affairs. Having spent last year as an MPP1 at HKS and this year as a 1L at HLS, I
can facilitate FedSoc’s growth by incorporating moderate, conservative, and
libertarian MPA and MPP students into our organization. I also serve as the
Membership Chair on a local non-profit board of governors where I have expanded
our dues-paying membership through outreach and individual communication. I
understand the importance of clearly explaining the requirements and benefits of
membership and will work to keep and enhance Harvard’s claim on the national
FedSoc membership award. I would be honored to serve as your VP of
Membership next year.
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Cameron Pritchett
Why Membership?
Fed Soc has been an integral part of my law school experience. I was hesitant to join this group.
Fortunately, I met Alex Bauer and others at the first welcome event. The members were
tremendously welcoming from the very beginning, and have assisted me in every aspect of my
experience. I want to provide the same support for future students.
Experience
 Section 5 representative on Student Government –
Developed meaningful relationships with the Dean of Students office; organized faculty
lunches including one for Jack Goldsmith; developed familiarity with administrative
processes such as funding, and event organization

Executive board leadership in a variety of college activities –
Managed 9-person board as president of the Interfraternity Council; elected externally
and internally to serve as member of student government board.
Platform
Students have expressed difficulty in getting involved with Fed Soc later in the fall semester and
also in the spring semester. The community-building initiatives focus on developing a
continually open group.
Community-Building
 Subsequent welcome events
 Spotlight members’ accomplishments in weekly newsletter and encourage introductions
at events to facilitate better knowledge of current members
 Events for 1L members to develop communities within sections and for the entire 1L
class
Mentorship
 Bring mentorship program under the responsibilities of membership chair
 Match 1Ls with mentors earlier in the fall semester; bolster the importance with
mentorship lunches, dinners, and social events
Collaboration
 Continue and enhance collaboration with student organizations to broaden the appeal of
Fed Soc and attract a diverse array of new members
 Work with corresponding organizations across Harvard’s community to attract members
outside of the law school
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Vice President for Speakers
David Phillips
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David Phillips
My name is David Phillips, and I am running for Vice President for Speakers for the 2016-17 academic
year. I’d like to use this statement as a brief way to emphasize the importance of the position, lay out my
vision for speaker events in the coming year, and give my qualifications for implementing that goal. I
hope to challenge you to consider what we as an organization want to accomplish next year, and how I am
uniquely situated to see those purposes through.
Why Speaker Events Matter
In many ways our speaker events are the face of the Federalist Society, at least as we relate to other
campus organizations. Along with the debate meetings, speaker events provide the primary context for
creating dialogue between those who would otherwise rarely interact with one another. Conservative,
libertarian, and moderate voices are in the minority on our campus. As an organization we bear a
responsibility to contribute to the well-being of the university by making these voices heard, and by
engaging with various viewpoints respectfully. The debates within the student body this year have made
it clear that a consistent forum for thinking through contemporary issues is needed more than ever, and
that opposing parties need to think outside their own respective bubbles. I view our speaker events as the
primary way in which the Federalist Society can meet this need. To that end I would propose our events
in the coming year be guided by a set of core principles.
The Principles of Our Speaker Events
Above all, our speaker events should work to give the Federalist Society a greater voice on campus
through increasing our involvement in co-sponsored events. Some of our greatest successes that led to
continuing dialogues happened in tandem with ACS and other organizations. This election year is a
special opportunity to increase our outreach and to sharpen the focus of on-campus debate. I would have
us grow our influence not by increasing the total number of events, but by increasing the percentage of
our events that we co-sponsor with other groups.
Second, our speaker events should give the organization a clearer voice on campus through
careful choice of and preparation for events. Among other things this means being more discriminate
when outside speakers request us to hold events for them. Further, we should take great pains to ensure
that the respondents for each event provide a substantive contrast to the main speaker, and market the
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event accordingly. Above all we should set clear expectations with the speakers for the tone of the event
and the respect with which to accord one another.
My Qualifications to Pursue These Principles Next Year
I served as a 1L deputy for speakers this year, and was able to contribute to the position’s substantive
workload by writing event summaries and hosting a speaker breakfast when the officers were unavailable.
I have prior experience in the workforce planning events and managing the moving parts that bring them
to completion. More importantly, I care about the role that our speaker events play on campus and for the
good of the organization. I have built good rapport with people from other student organizations who are
likely to be involved in their own event-planning processes. Finally, I have a vision for increasing the
Federalist Society’s voice and clarity in a year that will be full of contested issues and opportunities for
dialogue. I look forward to elaborating further on these points and to responding to your questions on
Thursday.
Thank You
--David Phillips
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Vice President for Social Activities
Michelle Onibokun
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Michelle Onibokun
Federalists,
I am excited to run for the Vice President of Social Activities. I hope I get the opportunity to
become more involved in the Federalist Society by planning well-organized social events.
The Federalist Society has been a big part of my 1L year. Attending the Convention in D.C. and
Symposium at UVA helped me to form friendships with people in Fed Soc. The social events
helped me to meet and bond with other Fed Soc members. After making these connections
through the various happy hours, parties, and interest dinners I attended, I was able to reach out
to these Fed Soc members about advice on my 1L private sector job search, legal practice in D.C.,
and making the most of my time at HLS. I want next year’s 1Ls, 2Ls, and 3Ls to have this same
experience.
Here are a few of my ideas for social events next year:
Interest-Centered Happy Hours: Fed Soc happy hours are great, but it can be intimidating as a
1L, 2L, or 3L to go to these events and introduce yourself to an established group of friends. We
can label some of our happy hours in a way that is similar to the small group interest dinners.
That way, existing members can better interact with one another, and those new to Fed Soc will
be more open to attending/mixing. Examples of these happy hours may include those interested
in clerkships, those interested in specific legal markets, 1Ls that want advice on their summer job
search, and people interested in a career in business.
Continuing the Well-Attended Fed Soc Events: I will help continue the tradition of the
Halloween Party, the Trickle Down G&T Party, Jimmy O’Madisons, and others.
Joint Social Events: I would love to have joint social events with other groups at HLS and the
other Harvard graduate schools. We can plan a joint event with the WLA or the Abigail Adams
Society to encourage greater female participation in Fed Soc. We can do competition-like events
with ACS such as Beer Pong. We can have debate watch parties that come with a prize for the
group that makes the best predictions, or we can host a trivia night.
Off-Campus Activities. We can attend breweries/wine tastings, go to Loretta’s, have a pubcrawl night in Boston, or play laser tag.
Sober Activities: I appreciate that not everyone within the Federalist Society drinks. I am
interested in exploring options for events that are sober, but exciting enough to appeal to our
diverse membership. These events can include Escape the Room Boston, a baseball game at
Fenway, ice-skating, roller-skating, or BBQs.
I am open to any suggestions that other members have. I am very committed to the Harvard
Federalist Society. I want to put in the effort to facilitate activities that will grow our
membership in size and closeness.
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Vice President for Communications
George Maliha
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George Maliha
Hello everyone! I’m George Maliha, and I’d love to be your next Vice President of
Communications. I am a 1L from Amarillo, TX who is interested in health care law and policy. I
worked in event advertisement and alumni outreach in college and medical school, and I would
be honored to do the same for Fed Soc. The society helped ease my transition to law school and
provided me a great forum to meet new friends, so this would give me an opportunity to give
back to the organization that has done a great deal for me.
If selected, I hope to continue the great job that Blake has done over this past year and would like
to continue to expand Fed Soc’s communications footprint on campus—and beyond. To that end,
in consultation with the executive board, I propose starting Fed Soc in “Fill-in-the-City”
Facebook groups to continue to share great events and stay in touch over the summer. These
platforms could also be used for alumni networking and career development in subsequent years.
During the year, I would also like to trial
1. Adding google calendar links to make our events easier to store with a click
2. Live tweeting some of our larger events
3. Developing a closed Facebook group for communications to avoid burdening the inboxes
of alumni on Unchecked Federalism.
Thank you again!
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Legal Practice Chair
Hussein Elbakri
Stephen Hammer
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Hussein Elbakri
Fed Soc has been a huge part of my 1L year. From the dinners and happy hours to symposium to
moot courts, it's been the place where I've met some of my closest friends, had the most
interesting conversations, and learned the most about how to navigate law school and the legal
profession. I'm running for legal practice chair because I want to make sure that other members
have similar or even better experiences. In particular, I see the Legal Practice Chair as the
officer responsible for helping good Federalists become successful lawyers.
The Legal Practice Chair has three main responsibilities: updating and distributing the Fed Soc
EIP guide, arranging faculty lunches and connecting current members to RA and clerkship
opportunities. The legal practice chair also quarterbacks the 1L jobs panel, working with the rest
of the membership and board. I have experiences and interests that make me well suited to
perform each of these tasks.
The EIP guide may be the only time that my interest in how biglaw firms operate is useful. I
spent last summer at Cravath through the SEO program so I have some idea of what summer
associates look for and go through in Biglaw, which should be useful in curating the EIP guide.
When I was Vice President of the Columbia Debate Society, I also held a prelaw/banking/consulting panel where seniors and juniors gave freshman and seniors advice about
what they should be doing to prepare for summer and full-time positions.
I would also like to expand this component by creating an anonymous survey to give people a
sense of what the grade ranges are for each firm so they can have the most competitive bid lists.
This would be an ongoing effort, combining survey data with the already available stats on dope
and OCS's website.
Faculty lunches are a great way to get to know professors on a personal level. I would do my best
to arrange these lunches well ahead of time and ideally try to schedule around larger competing
lunch events. I think these lunches are especially important for any conservatively inclined
student on campus, who may not be exposed to conservative professors until late in their HLS
career. I would also ask the membership who they want to have lunch with most and reach out to
those professors.
Finding and highlighting RA and clerkship opportunities is the part of the job I am most prepared
to perform. I served as the professional development chair for the Columbia Debate Society as a
sophomore. During that time, I convinced Mckinsey and Co. to hold an annual debater-only
resume drop, got Kaplan to sponsor a tournament and created a database of where former
debaters worked. While I was studying abroad, I helped the Oxford University Conservative
Association add opportunities in America to their jobs-list. If elected, I would first reach out to
Federalists who are currently clerking and other federalist chapters who may be interested in
exchanging RA listings.
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Stephen Hammer
One of the biggest reasons I came to HLS was the strength of the Federalist Society. On a
campus that tends towards ideological conformism, the Federalist Society serves as a champion
of intelligent dissent, and I have loved being a part of our tight-knit community. I am running for
Legal Practice Chair because I want to help our members make better connections with faculty,
professionals, alumni, and fellow students.
First, I will continue to expand our research assistant opportunities:
We all know how hard it is to develop relationships with professors and to get excellent,
substantive recommendations. This is an area where the Legal Practice Chair can make a huge
impact. Kayla did a great job this year of developing our research assistant opportunities; I will
continue her work and expand our connections with conservative scholars throughout the country.
• I will coordinate with JLPP to seek out research assistant opportunities for FedSoc
members with academics writing in the journal.
Second, I will expand our events targeted at preparing 1Ls:
As a 1L, the best information I have gotten about jobs and clerkships has come from FedSoc
2Ls and 3Ls. This year’s interest group dinners and 1L jobs panels have been instrumental to
building these informal relationships. I will continue and expand these events.
• I will plan a 1L EIP overview panel for the early spring semester so that 1Ls have a clear
understanding of the process and can hear directly from 2Ls and 3Ls about their biggest
lessons learned.
• I will coordinate with the Academic Chair to plan a 1L clerkship overview panel so that
1Ls understand the application process and what they need to be doing to prepare during
their first year.
• I will ensure that the EIP Jobs Book is directly relevant to the questions that most matter
to rising 2Ls preparing for EIP.
Third, I will expand our valuable faculty lunches:
FedSoc faculty lunches are a great way to get to know professors in a small group setting and
to learn about their research.
• I will arrange faculty lunches with our tenured conservative, moderate, and libertarian
faculty, as well as with visiting professors whose research may be of interest to our
members.
• I will seek to expand our lunches to faculty who, although not conservative, moderate, or
libertarian themselves, are willing and excited to engage with our ideas—for example,
Professor Randall Kennedy, who has been outspoken about the HLS campus protests.
It would be an honor to serve our great organization as Legal Practice Chair.
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Debate Chair
Josh Craddock
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Josh Craddock
I'm running for Debate Chair to continue the work of facilitating conversations between varied
viewpoints on campus. One of the greatest aspects of the Harvard Federalist Society is the
opportunity to share perspectives on legal, political, and social issues which differ from the
prevailing orthodoxy on campus. The roundtable debates and discussions facilitated by the
Debate Chair play an important role in that process.
My vision for the Debate Chair is to create meaningful dialogue out of contentious debates. I've
participated in competitive debate for eight years, coached high school debate for one year, and
competed at the 2013 World Universities Debating Championship in Berlin. The same
persuasive skills I used in competitive debate apply to real world debates as well. The most
important thing I've learned is that winning the person is more important than winning the
argument—and you don't have to sacrifice your principles to do it.
I plan to continue the bi-weekly roundtable debates, covering contemporary legal, socio-political,
and campus topics which affect or interest the student body.
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