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By the Juris Education Interview Team
Justin Maru Kim is the Membership Director of the Yale Debate Association, North America's most successful intercollegiate debating society, which is currently ranked third globally.
The Yale Debate Association (YDA) competes in two collegiate debate formats: American Parliamentary (APDA) and British Parliamentary (BP). APDA features two teams—each with two speakers—debating a single motion within a fixed timeframe. BP involves four teams of two speakers each, all debating the same motion under similar time constraints. More information on the differences between formats can be found here. In both styles, YDA members tackle a wide range of debate topics, from economic questions like whether commercial banks should aggressively expand, to sociocultural debates such as whether we regret the rise of Pentecostalism in religion.
I believe there are three main real-world benefits to being part of the YDA. First, debate as an activity is an incredibly empowering intellectual exercise. I strongly believe debate not only builds public speaking and rhetorical skills, but more importantly, it trains you to make arguments—any argument—with clarity and confidence. Being assigned a side to debate, regardless of your personal views, pushes you to approach real-world issues with analytical rigor and an open-mind, traits I believe are necessary for leadership roles in any industry or field. YDA members get to compete at the highest levels of collegiate debate, including international tournaments like Worlds and major domestic competitions through the American Parliamentary Debate Association—all at no cost. The YDA covers travel, lodging, food, and registration, ensuring no financial barriers stand in the way of participation.
Second, YDA members play an active role in shaping the debate circuit itself, both at the high school and college levels. Each year, we run four exciting tournaments: two for high schoolers (one national, one local) and two for college students (one international, one national). Organizing these fun and engaging events gives members the chance to give back to the broader debate community while building valuable operational and logistical skills.
Third—and most importantly—the YDA is a community. Some of my closest college friendships have come from spending long weekends at tournaments, hanging out at team dinners, attending alumni reunions, and going on far too many boba runs. Weekly socials and shared experiences genuinely make this more than a team. Moreover, the mentorship I’ve received from upperclassmen and alumni has even shaped my professional path, helping me figure out what I want to do with my life post-graduation.
Many debate unions share similar goals with the YDA—working to make competitive debate as accessible as possible by removing financial barriers; contributing to the circuit by organizing engaging, well-run tournaments; and fostering a sense of community that helps members find a home away from home. These goals manifest in the aforementioned benefits and make being part of a debate union worthwhile.
To me, the most challenging part of joining a debate union is making time to consistently attend tournaments. Debate takes a lot of energy—especially when you factor in travel—and weekends quickly fill up. To make space for tournaments, I end up packing my weekdays, staying ahead on schoolwork and juggling other non-academic experiences that make college feel balanced and fulfilling.
Outside of the community it offers, the most rewarding part of joining a debate union is the opportunity it presents to compete against some of the brightest minds on a wide range of fascinating topics. I leave every tournament more curious, more engaged, and with an even stronger desire to keep learning about the world.
Debating as an activity helps students become more confident speakers because, as they practice debating a wide range of topics, they build familiarity with the arguments on both sides of major issues—from environmentalism to education. That familiarity alone can make students feel more at ease when speaking. But beyond just promoting stronger content knowledge, debate also pushes students to refine how they speak: they learn to structure their arguments clearly, signpost effectively, speak with granularity, and manage their pacing. Improvement in these areas adds up, and over time, students tend to find themselves becoming much more confident public speakers.
I’ve heard from numerous law students, who were former YDA members, that debate helped them do better in law school—mainly by building habits like paying close attention to how they structure their arguments, and by giving them broad content knowledge from the wide range of topics they’ve debated, where morality, politics, and logic often come into play. I think law school applicants can definitely benefit from joining debate unions—not just because being articulate and comfortable with arguments across different fields directly prepares you for the kind of academic work law school demands, but also because it can signal a genuine ability and willingness to engage with complex issues, whether it’s conflict resolution or the constitutionality of a policy, with an open and analytical mind.
To get the full benefits of joining a debate union in college, it obviously takes time and commitment. But for anyone unsure about whether it’s the right move, I highly recommend trying out even just one college tournament. Most collegiate debate tournaments have “novice” categories specifically for students in their first year of college debate, which means you get to compete against others who are also just starting out—and that can make the experience way more approachable and rewarding. If you enjoy the practice of making and responding to arguments, debating can be a life-changing
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