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Tiffany Gee Ching Lo

Debate and the Law – Part 2: Lessons Learned from Competing in and Judging Debate

March 16, 2022 By Tiffany Gee Ching Lo Leave a Comment

Debate and the Law – Part 2: Lessons learned from Competing in and Judging DebateIn a previous post Debate and the Law: 3 Lessons from Competing in and Judging Debate, I introduced my knowledge of the debate world as a former high school debate student and current judge at debate tournaments.

I really enjoy debate and think it’s a great activity for young people and adults alike. Debate helps develop skills such as presenting clear arguments, supporting them with evidence, responding to rebuttals, demonstrating the stakes, and treating your opponents with respect.

Here are three additional lessons from debate that are useful in legal studies and practice: [Read more…] about Debate and the Law – Part 2: Lessons Learned from Competing in and Judging Debate

Debate and the Law: 3 Lessons from Competing in and Judging Debate

February 23, 2022 By Tiffany Gee Ching Lo Leave a Comment

Debate and the Law: 3 Lessons from Competing in and Judging DebateMany debaters go on to careers in law (and politics as well), and that makes a lot of sense to me. Having been a debater and judge, I have recognized that the skills you develop through practice and competition become quite handy in legal settings.

There are multiple debate events – parliamentary, public forum, Lincoln-Douglas, congress, and Big Ideas, each with a different focus and format, including varying time limits, cross-examination opportunities, and preparation periods. However, the big idea is similar: each debate involves a resolution, or a position statement, which a student or a team of two either argues for or against. Each speaker has a limited amount of time to present their initial contentions, or arguments, as well as to rebut the opposing team’s points and even cross-examine them directly by asking questions and asking to see their supporting evidence.

I competed in high school parliamentary debate, and have judged all the debate formats but one. Here are my thoughts on how debate can help students gain helpful skills and knowledge for the legal world.

[Read more…] about Debate and the Law: 3 Lessons from Competing in and Judging Debate

Speech And The Law: 3 Lessons From Competing In, Coaching, And Judging Speech

February 2, 2022 By Tiffany Gee Ching Lo Leave a Comment

Speech And The Law: 3 Lessons From Competing In, Coaching, And Judging SpeechI started in speech quite young. I competed in the speech circuit in Hong Kong in events including prose, poetry, and original compositions. In high school, I competed in oral interpretation and the duo interpretation speech events. And now as a law student, I coach speech at a local high school. I volunteer to judge speech tournaments where I observe speeches from students hailing from around the country in a variety of events. Apart from speech extracurriculars, I’ve been active in activities I consider highly related, including choir, musical theater, and debate.

I have always gravitated toward interpretation events, which involved picking and formulating a ten-minute speech based on a preexisting speech, book, play, movie, or TV show episode. But there are other speech formats as well. In spontaneous speech events, students pick a topic from three choices and have a limited amount of time to prepare and give a well-structured and persuasive speech. These events include impromptu, international extemporaneous speaking, and domestic extemporaneous. And in original speech events, students write their own ten-minute speech on a topic of their choice. These events include informative speaking, original oratory, and original spoken word. Each speech event is fun and challenging in its own way.

Lawyers are speakers and communicators. They speak to clients and generate business by networking. They speak, very artfully, to lawyers who are representing transactional counterparties or litigation adversaries. They also can communicate with clients on the other side, though usually indirectly. They advocate in front of experienced judges, or work to persuade non-legally trained jurors. Some lawyers even talk to the press and the public when acting as a spokesperson for their client. Lawyers not only speak verbally, but also with body language, and through the written word. For lawyers who don’t always appear in court, emails abound in their daily work.

With that all said, I would love to share three lessons that I learned from speech that are applicable to the law.

[Read more…] about Speech And The Law: 3 Lessons From Competing In, Coaching, And Judging Speech

MPRE Study – Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute!

January 26, 2022 By Tiffany Gee Ching Lo Leave a Comment

MPRE Study - Don't Wait Until The Last Minute!The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam, or the MPRE, is a rite of passage for law students. This is a 2-hour, 60-question multiple choice exam testing knowledge on the subject of ethics in the legal profession. In other words, test takers demonstrate their facility with the rules that encourage and constrain lawyers’ behavior both within and outside of the legal profession. Are lawyers allowed to reveal information about their work? Can they accept gifts from or enter into contracts with their clients? Can they lie to the judge?

Seems easy enough right? Well, doing the right thing in a situation may not always be easy or apparent. Clients may be in a lot of distress. They may withhold certain information or lie. Lawyers may become overworked and saddled with their personal and familial responsibilities. Conflicts develop between clients and co-workers. Attorney’s fees can become a bitter source of contention. Trust and communication may break down and either party may want to end the relationship. Attorneys are required to advertise and present themselves in certain ways. [Read more…] about MPRE Study – Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute!

Strategies to Tackle a Law Firm Speed Networking Event

January 19, 2022 By Tiffany Gee Ching Lo Leave a Comment

Strategies to Tackle a Law Firm Speed Dating EventThe other day, I was talking to a friend and law student, one year younger than me, who told me about an upcoming speed networking event at her school. Great I thought, initially. But then I remembered how overwhelming my first speed networking was. I then asked about the format, and learned that students would get ten minutes with each firm, for a grand total of two hours. Yes you read that right: 10 minutes and 12 firms. So understandably, she asked, how do I prepare? What questions do I ask? How do I make the most of it?

After some reflection, here are some of my strategies for tackling such an event: [Read more…] about Strategies to Tackle a Law Firm Speed Networking Event

Practical Considerations For Picking Law School Classes

January 12, 2022 By Tiffany Gee Ching Lo Leave a Comment

Practical Considerations For Picking Law School ClassesAfter your first year in law school, there is a wide range of classes from which you can choose. There are the traditional doctrinal courses, small discussion classes, clinics, policy projects, and more. At some schools, you can even choose an elective as early as the second semester or quarter of your first year. Thus, you can very actively shape your law school experience based on your interests and aspirations. At the same time, this may seem very daunting. For students who are not especially drawn to a certain practice area, they may be asking – where do I even start?

Here, I will share some practical considerations for picking your classes during law school. [Read more…] about Practical Considerations For Picking Law School Classes

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If you find law school tough, you are not alone! The Law School Toolbox team is here to help you through it. Check out our helpful free content, podcasts, courses and one-on-one tutoring. Thanks for stopping by and drop us a line if you have any questions. We also invite you to join our weekly mailing list, for advice right to your inbox.

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