Are you passionate about education, debate, civics, and providing the best educational opportunities for Chicago youth?

Then we need YOU!

The CDL relies on a large network of volunteers–college students, debate league alumni, professionals in the community, parents, and teachers–to judge our tournaments. No experience is required; we will train you to be an effective judge. Judges have the option to volunteer for a half-day or full day, and are compensated with a small stipend and lunch. Judge opportunities are available throughout the school year.

Judges learn:

• the format of a competitive policy debate (time limits, speech order)
• the specialized jargon debaters use (topicality, disad, kritik, etc.)
• how to take notes in a debate to make a good decision
• how to complete a debate ballot
• how to give feedback to students on debate
• common arguments on this year’s topic
• how to determine who wins a debate

Please donate your time to help mentor our students as they develop their critical thinking and public speaking skills.

For more information on what judging entails, please click here. Contact Cydney Edwards to find out about the next judge training session.