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Hi! My name is Lydia Lane-Craddock, and I would LOVE to be your Debate Secretary!

I am a First Year LLB Law Student and aspire to be a barrister.

This year, I participated in the Law Society’s debating competition, making it through all six rounds and was ultimately on the winning team! Through this experience, my confidence in debating has grown enormously and I am eager to help others develop their skills.

Aside from debating, I have gained work experience in a large legal department within a multi-functional organisation. I have also participated in pro bono work with the charity Cerebra and was part of the Head Girls’ Team in my Sixth Form, focusing on promoting inclusivity within the school.

If elected, I will:
🧑‍⚖️ Organise guest speaker panels featuring legal experts to share insights and discuss debating strategies.
🙋🏼‍♀️ Provide more opportunities for beginners to improve confidence levels in those new to debating and encourage participation.
👔 Extend debate topics to include commercial awareness and real-world legal issues.
💬 Create a dedicated debate newsletter, summarising key arguments and sharing valuable resources.
🪩 Host debate socials – casual, fun debates over food & drinks.

As a first-time debater in this competition, I know how daunting debating can be. I am, therefore, committed to ensuring that debating is inclusive, engaging and a positive experience for all participants.

I would be honoured to serve as your Debate Secretary and bring fresh and exciting opportunities to the Law Society.

Please feel free to contract me: lydia4debatesoc or xjsv7130@leeds.ac.uk

Vote Lydia for Debate Soc 2025!

Hi everyone! My name is Tom McCoubrie, and I’m standing for Debate Secretary with a clear goal: to reshape and revitalise the debating experience at the University of Leeds Law Society.

Debating is an essential skill for any aspiring lawyer, and it’s something I am deeply passionate about. This year, I reached the semi-finals of the internal competition, and I was also invited to represent Leeds at the UCL Inter-Varsity Law Society Debating Competition, competing against teams from universities like UCL, KCL, Queen Mary’s, Bristol, and SOAS. These opportunities have shown me the potential of what Leeds could achieve in the world of law debating.

Coming from a state school where opportunities like this were scarce, I understand how important it is to make debating accessible and approachable to all students, no matter their experience level. It's about creating an environment where everyone feels supported and encouraged to participate, whether you're just starting or are already an experienced debater.

If I am elected Debate Secretary, I want to focus on making our debating society more dynamic, inclusive, and professional. My vision isn’t to just maintain what we have but to expand it, improve it, and make it an experience that adds real value to your time at university.

Here’s how I plan to do it:

✅ ENGAGE
More opportunities– Strengthen connections with other universities and law societies, expanding our competitive opportunities and creating inter-varsity events.

• Engage with local schools to introduce state school students to debating, creating an early pathway into law.
• Media & public engagement, publishing a Podcast or YouTube series featuring recorded debates.
• Collaborate with local law firms, chambers, and alumni to increase networking opportunities.
• Form partnerships with other university law societies for annual Varsity Debates (i.e. the Debating Union, Labour Society, Lawyers Without Borders)


✅ EMPOWER
Strengthen skills – Provide individual feedback and support to help everyone, regardless of experience, improve their debating skills and confidence. Bring in high-profile speakers and host debates on current legal and societal issues to keep the debates relevant and engaging for all members.

• Develop a mentorship scheme pairing experienced debaters with newcomers.
• Recruit more subcommittee members to revitalise feedback and run more workshop sessions so that those who miss out on the Debating Secretary will have a great delegated role in the process.
• Organise mooting vs. debating sessions to help students bridge the gap between advocacy and competitive debating.
• “Open Floor” Debate Nights with casual, interactive topics to attract new members.
• Use AI alongside personal feedback to re-imagine feedback, tailor improvement, and accelerate learning.


✅ EXPAND
New ideas – Ensure that all members have access to beginner-friendly workshops, masterclasses from top professionals, and a variety of debate formats to suit all levels.

• Create a new Parliament Debate Competition simulating parliamentary debates on current law, policy and political issues - where participants assume the role of UK Political Parties. This will run alongside the existing internal Competition, which continues to be about broader social issues.
• Mini “Speed-Debate” Socials, where members argue quickfire topics over drinks.
• Invite High-Profile guest debates & speaker events.
• Increase participation in external competitions, ensuring Leeds is well-represented in national law debating tournaments.

I’m passionate about helping others develop their debating abilities, and as Debate Secretary, I will work hard to create a vibrant, inclusive, and high-performing debating environment for the entire society.

If you have any questions or would like to chat more about my vision for the society, feel free to email me at tom.mccoubrie@icloud or DM me on Instagram @tom4debatingsec

Thank you for your support!

Hi everyone, I'm Isaac, a first year Law student, and I am standing to be your Debating Secretary.

Debating and public speaking are valuable life skills, crucial in countless careers and situations. I would love to be able to provide a variety of opportunites designed for developing and practicing these skills. I would collaborate internally, as well as outside of the university in order to promote and improve these opportunites.

Why am I qualified for the role?
- I have valuable debating experience, being a part of the winning team of this years LawSoc debate competition, being awarded 'distinguished speaker', as well as winning my sixth forms debate competition.

- I have experience working and organising in a team, in a research group for the student-run Leeds Policy Institute, demonstrating organisational and collaberative abilities.

My Aims
- To provide more opportunities for the development of general debating skills, through workshops, more feedback opportunities, and casual debating sessions, in order to promote inclusion in debating, and encourage improvement of a valuable skill.

- To listen to, and act on feedback from other students, to improve the debating experience in the LawSoc, and tailor opportunities to demand

- To ensure there are a variety of competitive debating opportunities, internal and external.

Any questions, please contact me at:
- sfwx4404@leeds.ac.uk
- Instagram: @isaac4debatingsec

Thanks!

Hi everyone! My name is Matilda, and I would genuinely love to have your vote for Debate Secretary this year.

As a first-year law student, I have thrown myself into every opportunity at Leeds, from debating, mooting and negotiating competitions to joining societies like Hiking and Snowriders. I’m an outgoing and approachable person who thrives meeting new people; I even signed up for the Snowriders' Christmas ski trip without knowing anyone and ended up making what I hope will be lifelong friends! I’ve also been actively involved in LawSoc, from being part of the Community Engagement Sub-committee to attending many of the brilliant events on offer.

I know firsthand how intimidating debating can be, but I want to create a welcoming and supportive environment where everyone, regardless of experience and background, feels confident to get involved. My own journey into British Parliamentary debating began with a YouTube video that sparked my interest. From there, I entered my first competition, founded my secondary school’s debating society, and even ran my school’s Bar Mock and Magistrates’ teams, personally coaching over 40 students and providing them with the opportunity for feedback from a KC! I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to share my love of debating with others.

Alongside my sixth form studies, I worked as a junior paralegal, developing strong organisational and time management skills—both essential for running debate competitions smoothly. As Debate Secretary, I will be committed to expanding opportunities for all members, whether you're just starting out or already an experienced debater!

My Goals as Debate Secretary:
✅ Expand accessibility & skills development – More beginner-friendly workshops and external speaker masterclasses.
✅ Foster Collaboration – Strengthen ties with local barristers’ chambers, other university societies, and debate teams, with the goal of holding an inter-university competition.
✅ Keep debate relevant – Continue to use innovative motions on current topics

If elected, I will be dedicated to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to debate, grow, and excel. Whether you're a newcomer or an experienced competitor, I’ll be here to support and encourage you to reach your full potential.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at czdl4729@leeds.ac.uk or DM me @matilda4debatesec.