2024 High School Debate Championship

The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

For more than two decades, The City Club of Cleveland has hosted the annual High School Debate Championship.\r\n\r\nEvery year, the top two area high school debaters square off in a classic \"Lincoln-Douglas\" style debate at a Friday forum. This allows the debaters to compete-not only for the judges and audience in the room-but also for our radio and television audiences.\r\n\r\nThe debaters will be Max Zukerman of Solon High School, coached by Trina Castro and Matt Hill; and Brooke Gemechu of Hawken School, coached by Robert Shurtz and Eva Lamberson.\r\n\r\nThe finalists will debate the topic Resolved: The primary objective of the United States criminal justice system ought to be rehabilitation.\r\n\r\nJudging the debate are Corinne Lashley, Speech and Debate Coach at Chagrin Falls HS; Rich Kawolics, OSDA Hall of Fame Speech and Debate Coach at Laurel School; and Artis A. Arnold III, Managing Director at Huntington National Bank and City Club Board Member.\r\n\r\nOn behalf of BakerHostetler, we are honored to support this annual tradition in memory of Patrick Jordan--a lawyer, fierce protector of democracy and free speech, and a championship debater himself.