Film Screening of "Fast Talk" and Panel Discussion on Competitive Debate and Oral Advocacy

Thursday, September 8, 2011, 4:00 p.m.

Lisa S. Blatt, Partner and Head of Appellate and Supreme Court Practice, Arnold & Porter LLP; former Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States

Paul D. Clement, Partner, Bancroft PLLC; Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Law Center; former Solicitor General of the United States

David C. Frederick, Partner, Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel PLLC; former Assistant to the Solicitor General of the United States

Thomas C. Goldstein, Partner, Goldstein & Russell PC; Founder, SCOTUSblog

Neal K. Katyal, Professor, Georgetown University Law Center; former Acting Solicitor General of the United States

Brett M. Kavanaugh, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit

Debra Tolchinsky, Filmmaker; Assistant Professor of Radio/Television/Film, Northwestern University

"Fast Talk" is a documentary film produced and directed by Tolchinsky. The film follows the 2005-2006 Northwestern University debate team as it competes for a second consecutive national championship, while examining why debaters now talk so fast and how their arguments are often unintelligible to a non-debate audience.

The panelists will explore how these changes to the nature of competitive debate could impact oral advocacy in the 21st century.  They will also discuss how their early participation in speech and debate prepared them for their future careers in the law. 

This event is sponsored by the Georgetown Law Supreme Court Institute and Arnold & Porter LLP.

Media interested in attending should email mediarelations@law.georgetown.edu.