NYCUDL in Washington DC

This spring break we embarked on a 3-day trip to Washington DC with some of our incredible District 7 debaters from PSMS 5 in the South Bronx. Each day we explored a different branch of government.

We kicked things off with Executive Day and were fortunate to meet with Zoe Jacoby, Assistant to the Solicitor General who eloquently explained the work of the Executive Branch and how cases find their way to the Supreme Court. We were treated to a tour of the Main Justice Building with a trip to the library where students were able to look through books from the 1600s!

Legislative Day included Congressman Rep. Ritchie Torres’ staffers, Lucas Erbland and Melissa Andrade, who gave the students an overview of the work of the Congressman and careers on Capitol Hill to help them prepare for their debate on congressional term limits. They also gave the students a tour of the Capitol Building. Later that day, the students were hosted for a scrimmage at Milbank LLP where they received feedback on their debates from thoughtful Milbank attorneys. The DC office’s Managing Partner, Andrew Leblanc, congratulated the students on their hard work and encouraged them to pursue careers in law. Milbank attorneys ended the night with pizza and advice about the legal profession with our debaters.