Noting that the use and utility of judging philosophy statements have long been a contested issue in intercollegiate debate, this paper examines the rationale for using philosophy statements, discusses the effectiveness of philosophy statements, and advocates the use of such statements at Pi Kappa Delta's National Tournament. The paper notes that…

Many of the American Debate Association (ADA) rules merely codify conventions which are almost universally practiced in ADA tournaments. Among them are such standards as who is eligible to debate and judge, what shall be debated and for how long, and restrictions on ballot submissions. Other rules come under the general heading of "which…

For most people, law and the courts are veiled in mystery. Even though the law is made by legislators elected by the public and interpreted by judges chosen directly or indirectly by the public, and even though great strides have been made in making the law and its special language more understandable to people, the general public is still often…

Including speech transcripts and judges' critiques, this book presents the results of the 1986 (1) National Debate Tournament Final Debate, sponsored by the American Forensic Association, including the affirmative and negative presentations; (2) National CEDA Tournament Final Debate, sponsored by the Cross-Examination Debate Association, including…

Some might perceive a contradiction-in-terms in the claim that an appointment to the United States Supreme Court demands, or even permits, a political campaign. However, where there is a choice--a judgment identifying the preference for one proposition, or one person, over another--there is politics, there is rhetoric, and there is an ethical…

The focus of the symposium was on an evaluation of judicial education in Alabama conducted by the University of Alabama Evaluation and Assessment Laboratory (EAL). The papers include: (1) "Design: From Qualitative Study to Grounded Questionnaire" (J. S. Rogers); (2) "Implementation: Conducting the Qualitative Study and the…

Since few debate tournaments can be administered successfully without employing some hired-judge pool, one of the fundamental ethical concerns facing the tournament director is the balance between filling all judge responsibilities and securing competent judges. The responsibility of securing competent judges can be met through a more extensive…

There is very little consensus among Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) coaches as to the assignment of presumption in value topic debate. There are really three types of presumption: (1) an identification with the status quo (existing institutions), (2) a psychological state (prevailing opinion), and (3) a decision rule (who must prove).…

Traditionally, the focus of debate has been on what policy should be adopted. The concept of fiat, or authoritative decree or sanction, has enabled debate participants to discuss the relative merits of competing policies without deciding whether or not the policies being compared could be adopted in the real world. While, for the purposes of…

Academic debate may be regarded as an educational game since it includes the adversary quest for favorable decisions from a neutral judge within an artificial context defined by myriad rules and traditions. In academic debate, the requisite fairness is provided by such game rules as time limitations, speaker order, uniform resolutions, critic…

This paper contains an analysis of Justice William Brennan's Supreme Court opinions concerning cases on freedom of expression and his interpretations of Alexander Meiklejohn's theory of actual malice in cases of libel. Particular attention is paid to Brennan's landmark contribution to the law of libel, his opinion in "New York Times v.…

The pamphlet briefly describes various facets of the law and legal system in Wisconsin, and defines many legal terms. The objective is to further public understanding of the law and of the legal profession, particularly in Wisconsin. No attempt is made to answer specific legal questions. Sections cover civil and criminal law; the federal court…

In 1978-79 the Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association adopted a three-part testing procedure to certify debate judges and make them eligible for officiating at district and state tournaments. The development and application of the procedure required a blending of debate principles and administration. Certification as a debate judge required…

Examines the use of pretournament workshops and instruction packets as means of eliminating errors made by uninformed debate judges. Offers suggestions to judges which are intended to help them develop more articulate and educationally valuable student critiques. (Author/GEA)

The text of Justice Byron R. White's dissent from the Supreme Court's decision striking down the National Collegiate Athletic Association's control of televised college football is presented. It is suggested that the Court errs in treating intercollegiate athletics under the NCAA's control as a purely commercial venture. (Author/MLW)