Happy 4th SALE! Online Speech and Debate Camps – Membership Prices for ALL!

MEMBERSHIP PRiCES for ALL – through the 4th of July!! Our Online Camps are LESS THAN $100 (see below for details on the discounts). Sign up today for Lasting Impact! Online Camps, they will provide – amazing information, instruction, and inspiration! And, as always, the recording is FREE! Running a Club this year? Club Leaders are also welcome to attend! Learn and glean from top notch coaches to walk away with a jump start on the season making progress towards success!

Ethan Tong said, “Some of my fondest memories of High School Speech and Debate were the summer camps: hanging out with friends, not understanding how much I was learning, with little to no pressure to perform well. I remember one camp in Wisconsin where I was doing a practice round. One of the camp coaches was judging. I could not finish a single sentence without stuttering and saying ums all over the place––despite it being my 2nd year competing. I was so embarrassed that I literally said, in my speech, “I’m sorry, I promise I’m usually not this bad”!”

The great thing about camps is that you’re allowed to make mistakes and not be on your best game. You need to remember- you go to camp to learn, grow, and explore!

Lasting Impact! is offering summer speech and debate camps all over the country – including Hawaii! But did you know we also are providing some AMAZING speech and debate opportunities ONLINE this summer?? We are offering ONLINE DEBATE – in three different events––TP, LD, and Moot Court–– and ONLINE SPEECH! We guarantee they will help you learn the elements to get you started on the road to progress. By heading to a summer camp you are guaranteed to be further ahead than if you didn’t! We, at Lasting Impact!, are all about the process and progress over the perfection! If you can’t make it to an in person camp this summer… check out these online options…

TP and LD Camp – (TP – July 10-11/LD – July 12-13) These are called “Principles of TP” and “Principles of LD” because we will not just teach you how to succeed in a particular resolution, but how to succeed in any resolution. Coach Ethan Tong and Coach Nathanael Kolssak will teach you the principles of debate that all nationally-ranked debaters use. They are not only experienced coaches and past competitors, but they are also experienced judges! Therefore, they will be able to give you tips from the other side of the table and tell you what judges like and what they don’t like. Click HERE and enter the Code – DISCOUNT2310 for $25 OFF!!

Moot Camp – (July 26-27 or Aug. 4-5) This camp is geared for beginners and advanced. Beginners will cover…

⁃What is Moot Court?
⁃What To Do When Cracking Open the Packet
⁃Case Writing 101
⁃Responding to Questions 101
⁃2023 Packet Discussion
⁃…and more!

The advanced track will cover:
⁃Improving at Moot
⁃Case Writing 201: Compelling Intros and Conclusions
⁃Mastering the Rebuttal
⁃2023 Packet Discussion
Click HERE. And enter the Code- DISCOUNT2310 for $10 OFF!!

Jump Start Speech – (July 17) Heather Neumann will lead students of all levels to get a kick start for the upcoming season. Through class time and engaging activities, Heather will break down all the speech categories, teach the benefits of speech and debate, and dispel various myths. Even the most apprehensive students will walk away with a foundation, and the varsity students will be inspired! Click HERE. And enter the Code- DISCOUNT2310 for $10 OFF!!

Do you need a camp to do well? No, not necessarily, but our camps will have value. You have the opportunity to start your journey NOW! Begin the process NOW. Oh––and one more thing: we promise these camps will be fun. Yes, they’re online. But we use high energy, humor, games, activities, and everything in our power to make these camps some of the best you’ve ever been to. Just hear what a Moot Court camper said:

“The energy was immaculate, the feedback was top tier, and the way the coaches handled everything (from jokes to lectures to drills to giving tips) exceeded my already high expectations greatly. Would 100% pay again. 10/10.”

Sign Up Today!

Preparing for Tournaments Using Your Moot Court Imagination by: Ethan Tong

As the first Moot Tournament draws even closer, many students are panicking. How do you even prepare for an unlimited amount of questions from judges? How do you anticipate what questions might be asked?

Let me tell you about the key to a successful first tournament…

Continue reading “Preparing for Tournaments Using Your Moot Court Imagination by: Ethan Tong”

Before you open the NCFCA Moot Court Packet – Read This! By: Ethan Tong

About a month ago, the 2022-2023 NCFCA Moot Court packet dropped- an edited version of the college Moot Court (AMCA) packet from five years ago. Many experienced mooters immediately dove into the packet, hoping to analyze it with their friends. But for others, the packet is big and terrifying: 23 pages of daunting legal material.

Where do you even start?

Continue reading “Before you open the NCFCA Moot Court Packet – Read This! By: Ethan Tong”

This Week – LD, Moot, Sourcebook SALE!

Second semester is well underway… looking for opportunities to grow this week?

LD CLUB – Starts TONIGHT! Lasting Impact! will be launching a 10-week, second-semester Lincoln Douglas debate club on Monday evenings (TONIGHT)! This online club, hosted by Noah McKay, will focus primarily on tournament preparation, case refinement, and competitive strategy. The format will be largely discussion-based, with short lectures planned for the beginning of each meeting and the remainder of the window reserved for students to discuss the content of the lecture, ask questions, practice their cross-examination and rebuttal technique, and – depending on the week – discuss trends in the tournament world and potential strategies for refuting common cases. Students will also help each other analyze both their winning and losing ballots in order to foster consistency in their competitive performance.

MOOT COURT WORKSHOPBOGO! Register – and your partner is FREE! This workshop will be focused on three things: (1) diving into this year’s NCFCA packet to improve argumentation; (2) improving case structures so that they are easily intelligible to judges, yet nuanced and complex enough to win rounds; and (3) improving speaking and delivery. This two-hour workshop, led by former Moot Court competitor and current coach Ethan Tong, is aimed towards those who already have experience with this year’s packet, but those who are looking to start Moot Court would greatly benefit as well. The workshop will be RECORDED.

NCFCA TP Sourcebook – only $20! https://lastingimpact.info/product/book9535/
NCFCA LD Guide – only $20! https://lastingimpact.info/product/book9588/

Debate Opportunities Coming IN FEBRUARY!

We have TWO awesome opportunities in February for you Debaters!

  1. Online Moot Workshop with Ethan Tong. This one evening event will focus on three things: (1) diving into this year’s NCFCA packet to improve argumentation; (2) improving case structures so that they are easily intelligible to judges, yet nuanced and complex enough to win rounds; and (3) improving speaking and delivery. This two-hour workshop, led by former Moot Court competitor and current coach Ethan Tong, is aimed towards those who already have experience with this year’s packet, but those who are looking to start Moot Court would greatly benefit as well. The workshop will be RECORDED. Online Moot Court Workshop – Lasting Impact!
  2. 2nd Semester LD- Lincoln Douglas Club with Noah McKay. This ten-week club will focus primarily on tournament preparation, case refinement, and competitive strategy. The format will be largely discussion-based, with short lectures planned for the beginning of each meeting and the remainder of the window reserved for students to discuss the content of the lecture, ask questions, practice their cross-examination and rebuttal technique, and – depending on the week – discuss trends in the tournament world and potential strategies for refuting common cases. Students will also help each other analyze both their winning and losing ballots in order to foster consistency in their competitive performance. 2022 2nd Semester Online LD Club – Lasting Impact!
  3. SALE! All TP and LD Sourcebooks will be on SALE! BOOKS – Lasting Impact!

Lasting Impact! hopes we can assist you in your Speech and Debate journey. Our hope is to encourage students, parents, coaches, and clubs! Please let us know, how we can help!

Moot Court – All About Questions – Sign Up for Online Moot Workshop by Ethan Tong

Are you wanting to understand Moot Court better? Ethan Tong is the guy! In two weeks, Lasting Impact! will host an Online Workshop specifically for Mooters! Sign up NOW! Online Moot Court Workshop – Lasting Impact! This workshop will be recorded! And in the meantime, read Ethan’s tip about Moot…

Every Moot Court competitor knows the following scenario: you go up, prepared to answer the toughest questions and objections, only to hear crickets from the bench. Maybe a question or two––maybe none. We blame it on the bench—“Ugh, it was a cold bench this morning” or “the judges were not asking us anything”––when we should be blaming it on ourselves. Because it’s YOUR JOB to invite questions…

Continue reading “Moot Court – All About Questions – Sign Up for Online Moot Workshop by Ethan Tong”

Moot Court Tips (part 1) by: Hope Turner

​Mister Chief Justice and may it please the court…

​Moot court is something special. It transcends the everyday and takes you to a higher plane of thought. At least, that’s how I think of it. I LOVE moot court, but I’ll be the first to tell you that it is HARD. However, I have learned that if you invest in it, moot court will grow you into a stronger, smoother speaker who gives mic-drop answers using razor-sharp reasoning skills.

​I would like to give you a few tips to approaching moot court that makes you a better advocate and helps you have more fun. These aren’t just abstract tips. I’ve actually done these. In fact, I’m doing them right now as I prepare to compete at Nationals in collegiate moot court.

Fully immerse yourself in moot court
​Moot court can be daunting at first. And two months in. And six months in. In all honesty, I’m still intimidated by it to this day. That’s ok. The Supreme Court of the United States is daunting too. Ask anyone who has argued before the Supreme Court.

​“Come on, Hope,” you say. “It’s just pretend. We’re not actually arguing for a real person in front of the real Supreme Court.” To which I say, “but what if it were real? What if you actually were arguing for a real person before the real Supreme Court trying to affect real change?”

​That is the attitude you should have when you compete in moot court. Take it seriously! Fully immerse yourself in the role of The Attorney: arguing passionately on behalf of your client, who has been seriously injured; or defending the United States of America, who has done nothing wrong. Don’t do it half-heartedly. You get out of moot court what you put into it. So throw your whole self into it! Treat every round as if it were your one chance to speak before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). Your client is counting on you for justice. Act like it.

Read the cases
​Real talk: life is busy. Between high school (or college) classes, SAT prep, and everything else you are doing, your time is very limited. I get it. But actually reading the cases is invaluable to your moot court preparation for a few reasons:

  • Quotes
    ​SCOTUS has some pretty punchy lines. Use them to your advantage. Memorize them to use as answers to questions. Incorporate them into your arguments. Respond to opposing counsel’s arguments with them. They are wonderful little tools.
  • Actually understanding the cases
    ​This one seems like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how many times I have heard cases misrepresented or misquoted because counsel hasn’t actually read the case. Read the whole thing. Read the footnotes. Read the concurrences and dissents. Read it all.
  • Commentary on other cases
    ​It is common for cases to comment on past cases. Sometimes, SCOTUS overturns past cases (a fancy way of saying that they were wrong). They may even comment on cases you have available to you. That can increase your understanding of those cases, show you how to apply them to different circumstances, and distinguish the rule from dicta. (if you have no idea what I just said, let me explain: the “rule” is the part of a case that is binding on lower courts. It is the actual decision and the reasoning behind it that causes real change. It is how they answer the question presented to them. Anything else, like commentary on other cases or thoughts about potential future cases, is “dicta,” which is the non-binding opinion of the court. Dicta can be great for persuasive or rhetorical appeal, but it is not binding on the court.)

​​Tune into Hope’s next article for tips on – how to read cases…

Hope Turner is a Lasting Impact! Team Member and Coach. She is the reigning Moot Court Champion, along with her partner Hope Rawlson. For more one on one coaching, contact us.

Debate – Moot Court Breakdown by: Eric Meinerding

New challenges ought to be seized with vigor. Moot Court’s rise over the past four years in homeschool forensics has cemented it as an opportunity not to passed up. If you would like to learn more about this activity, want to learn some new and advanced strategies to prepare for the season, or are interested in the legal world at all, Lasting Impact!’s, Eric Meinerding will be offering two opportunities to explore Moot – Online Moot Court Club and an Online Workshop this Wednesday covering the ins and outs of Moot Court …

Continue reading “Debate – Moot Court Breakdown by: Eric Meinerding”

Introducing… Chris Baldacci, Lasting Impact! Moot Court Coach

Lasting Impact! is excited to announce another coaching expert for your coaching needs… Schedule a one on one coaching session with Chris Baldacci, watch his Moot Court Recorded Video Workshop or join his 4 Week Moot Court Seminar … STARTS MoNDAY! If you can’t make all of them- they will be recorded!

Chris Baldacci was a two-time national champion in collegiate Moot Court and the top individual speaker at the national championship in 2018. He is the only orator in American Moot Court Association history to win three titles. He was also the runner-up in last year’s national brief-writing competition. Chris has competed on the varsity Moot Court team for four years at Patrick Henry College and has been active in coaching underclassmen and serving as a volunteer judge. He will attend law school in the fall.

To check out the Recorded Moot Court Workshop CLICK HERE.https://lastingimpact.info/product/moot-court-online-workshop-with-chris-baldacci/

To sign up for the Moot Court Seminar CLICK HERE.https://lastingimpact.info/register/4-week-moot-court-seminar/