Announcing the 2013 McDermott Will & Emery JV Invitational (3/16)

We are very pleased to announce that for the fourth consecutive year, the law firm McDermott Will & Emery will sponsor and host the nation’s only JV urban debate invitational tournament, Saturday, March 16th, following this full-day schedule.

McDermott Will & Emery is an international law firm, founded in Chicago 80 years ago, which now has more than 1,100 attorneys in offices in 19 cities all over the world. The Chicago Debate Commission will be inviting ten of the top JV teams in the Chicago Debate League, from ten different schools in the LCC, “A,” and “AA” Conferences. The 10 teams will be selected based on season-long competitive record, weighting the Conference Championships approximately double in significance of the individual tournaments (T1 – T4) preceding it. We will announce the invited teams by Wednesday, February 27th.

The event will be held in the offices of McDermott Will & Emery, in the Franklin Center, 227 West Monroe St.

Coaches will receive a $300 incentive, in two payments, one prior to and one at the event.

Schools are obligated to provide their own transportation and one judge. Coaches are not obligated to attend.

Parents and observers are welcome, but have to register no later than March 8th, by email (cdc@resources.chicagodebates.org).

Three excellent meals will be provided on site. Parking passes will be provided for parking in the Franklin Center, 227 West Monroe St.

Two judges will be assigned to each round, one MWE attorney and one CDL judge. Teams will receive and be ranked on eight ballots, and the the top four places will be determined by our Final and Runner-Up Rounds. There will be no argument limits of any kind — the topic is the 2012/13 national policy debate topic (transportation infrastructure).

The event will have a legal diversity theme, with McDermott Will & Emery attorneys discussing how urban debaters can get from where they are to a career in the law, in addition to providing feedback on their argumentation and advocacy.

We once again very enthusiastically and with real sincerity thank CDC Board member Nathan Coco and McDermott Will and Emery partner Michael Boykins for making this event possible, and for their long-standing commitment to the Chicago Debate League and its hard-working and very talented coaches and students.