Wildman Harrold Among Influential Firms Partnering with National Association for Urban Debate Leagues
CHICAGO – Wildman Harrold among influential firms partnering with the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) to host 1st Annual Dinner in Chicago in conjunction with inaugural Chase Urban Debate National Championship.
In an unprecedented event, the Chase National Championship will bring together the two best teams from the ranks of 18 Urban Debate Leagues from across the country. It will span Thursday, April 3 through Sunday, April 6, 2008, at Northwestern University’s downtown Chicago campus. In the midst of the competition weekend, the NAUDL will host its first Annual Dinner at the University Club of Chicago on Saturday, April 5th.
Approximately 72 outstanding debaters, accompanied by accomplished coaches and dedicated urban debate and public school administrators will participate in a weekend of spirited competition and fun-filled community and cultural experiences. Participants will visit the National Museum of Mexican Art and Chicago’s new interactive McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum. The NAUDL will also host a series of conferences, college and career information sessions, and professional development meetings.
In a rare public appearance, United States Attorney and Department of Justice Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald will deliver the annual dinner’s keynote address. Emory University’s Director of Debate, Melissa Wade, will be awarded the first National Urban Debate Champion Award. And, the first ever Urban Debate Alumnus of the Year Award will be presented.
The NAUDL’s mission is to facilitate participation in organized debate for as many urban high school students as possible. Research shows students who participate in Urban Debate Leagues achieve marked increases in literacy, grade point averages, college matriculation rates, scholarship opportunities, and leadership roles in their schools and communities. Wildman Harrold’s support is playing a significant role in the NAUDL’s efforts to bring debate to urban students around the country. The NAUDL builds, strengthens, and connects Urban Debate Leagues, which provide world-class educational opportunities for urban students and lead to greater diversity within the legal profession.
Patrick J. Fitzgerald has a long and varied legal career, which has included the prosecution of Mafia figure John Gotti, the investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame’s identity and resulting prosecution of I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby for perjury, and Osama Bin Laden and his co-conspirators responsible for the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. As the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, he has overseen the prosecution of innumerable high-profile cases.
Melissa Wade has been Director of Forensics at Emory University and the head coach of the school's award-winning debate team since 1972. She has won every national coaching award in her field and has been honored for her contributions to minority and women’s participation in debate and forensics.
Wildman Harrold is one of the prestigious firms sponsoring the NAUDL Annual Dinner, and the Chase Urban Debate National Championship is being underwritten by the JP Morgan Chase Foundation. “This program is consistent with our Foundation’s long history of promoting educational excellence and of helping students prepare for and gain access to college,” said Kimberly B. Davis, President of the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.
For more information about the NAUDL and urban debate, go to www.UrbanDebate.org.
# # #
If you are interested in interviews or attending the debate or dinner, please contact:
Stuart Wolf at stuart@wolf-marketing.com, tel. 847-920-9653
Susan Schreiner at susan@wolf-marketing.com, tel. 847-920-9653
