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Hi everyone! My name is Aimee and I would really like to be your next Debate Secretary.

I am a first year law student who has wider interests beyond my studies such as playing badminton, tennis and volunteering. This year I reached the semi finals of the Law Society debate competition and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Through my experience in the internal law society debating competition this year, I have become an advocate for the benefits of debating, such as enhanced critical thinking skills and confidence. Not only this, but I find debating really enjoyable and I think it is important to shift the focus away from just its professional benefits. Therefore, I am passionate about encouraging people to get involved with debating and supporting them along the way. As I had very limited debating opportunities at school I particularly value being able to facilitate this opportunity.

Given that I was an inexperienced debater before University, I am aware of how daunting it can be but, if I am elected Debate Secretary, I hope to help you overcome this by offering workshops, practise debates and mentorship, as well as comprehensive and constructive feedback.

At school, I was a mentor for younger students which helped me develop transferable leadership and communication skills which, although this is a very different role, will be nonetheless valuable if I become debate secretary.

Here are my aims if I were to be elected debate secretary:
* Encourage more people to give debating a go, even without experience by offering extra support such a workshops and one-to-one help and mentorship.
* Organise debating socials, within law society and with other societies to help debating feel more relaxed, accessible outside of the competition and improve quick thinking.
* Maintain collaboration with barristers chambers to ensure networking opportunities
* Create a skilled subcommittee to aid mentorship.
* Ensure motions are accessible and relevant
* Organise practise debates in preparation for the competition

If elected I will be committed to opening up more debating opportunities, supporting you in learning and improving debate skills and creating an encouraging and enjoyable environment.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me at tmwb0900@leeds.ac.uk or dm me on instagram @aimee4debatesec

Thank you!

Hey everyone, my name is Sara and it would be amazing to be your next Debating Secretary!

I have previous experience not only participating in debates but also organising them. This year I was a finalist in the Law Soc’s internal debate competition and got to debate at Park Square Barristers, which was an incredible experience that reinforced my passion for public advocacy. Before this, I debated throughout Sixth-Form and co-organised debates in my school.

These experiences increased my passion for debating and my desire to get more people to access the incredible opportunities that come from it, not only on a professional level but on a personal one too.

A lot of people think that to be able to start debating ‘properly’ you need to have had some previous introduction to it, but most of us will debate without realising that we are doing so. If you think about it, every time you have a discussion with someone or try to convince anyone, even a friend, to believe you, you are using persuasive skills that are at the basis of debating. As your Debate Secretary I would ensure to help you develop these skills even further through the introduction of workshops that actually help you get more confident with public speaking. For example, starting in smaller groups that you can sign up to with your friends (no pressure and fun), to then get to being able to speak with strangers.

It is completely normal to be scared when starting to debate, because of this I would ensure to introduce different levels of debating. You could start at an introductory level if you’ve never debated before, you could be in a more experienced group if you have (or if you haven’t and want to see what you’re capable of), or you could even debate simply to develop some key skills and form connections whilst having fun and not participating in a competition.

The options for next year are going to be varied if you vote for me :)

I would ensure to increase information on how to get involved in debating so that nobody misses out on the opportunity because of a lack of news.

The topics explored in debate would be varied, a lot of them centred around current affairs to help with any future work experience/placement, but also controversial ones to get some interesting debates. There would also be the opportunity for the debaters to choose their own theme and then have a question developed by the judges on it.

Ultimately, I would love to be your Debating Secretary to provide you with the opportunity to develop key skills that you would need in most careers, have fun and engage within the Law Soc, and form key connections- not only networking but also with those you’ll debate with/ against.

Thank you for your time and consideration!

If you have any questions feel free to dm me (@sara4debatesec) or send me an email (jpxv0595@leeds.ac.uk).

VOTE SARA FOR DEBATING SECRETARY

Hello!

My name is Nick, and I'm running to be your debate secretary next year! I am a half British half Peruvian law student in my second year. I've always loved debating, and my goal is to make debating as enjoyable as possible. I have watched and organised debates throughout my secondary years, but I was always a little shy when it came to public speaking in my younger years. A lot has changed since then - this year, I am a finalist for the internal Law debating competition, and a member of the debate society.

Debate, whether you realise it or not, is a part of your everyday life. Should it be your friend - parent or annoying sibling, the art of presenting facts in a way that benefits you is an integral part of your success in daily life.

But partaking in a public debate? thats a different story. Sure - it can be daunting (trust me, I know) but it's also unforgettable. One of my main goals for next year is to include people who love the idea of debate - those that can write beautiful speeches, but just haven't quite brought themselves to admitting they may have a great shot at winning a competition (and enhancing that CV!)

I've also got the unique experience of having grown up all over the place (Venezuela, India, Hong Kong) and so I've come across a myriad of manners and styles in which one can debate - the list of aspects here really is endless. It would be an absolute pleasure to not only bring forth these ideas, but to actually implement them to our events.

One last thing if you've made it this far - My final goal is to implement a particular emphasis on teaching debating skills as well as hosting debates. Having been a tutor for the last 3 years, I have a soft spot for teaching, and I, above all else, wish to not only introduce people to the world of debating, but to make them the best debaters they can be. (kind of stole my school motto there)

If you have any questions about my campaign, don't hesitate to reach out to me on instagram @nicholas_bolton

Or perhaps slightly more formally at jdvx6003@leeds.ac.uk