CHICAGO, July 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Linda Listrom, a former partner with the acclaimed Jenner & Block law firm for more than 25 years, has been named Executive Director of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues after an extensive nation-wide search by the organization's Board of Directors. She will assume the post in early September.
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A former debater and current board member of the NAUDL, Listrom said her new role "returns me to my roots."
"I found myself at a point in my career where it was important for me to give back, and the NAUDL is the perfect fit," she said. "I've watched this organization grow, and I have great admiration for the staff and the work they do. I've been fortunate. Many people created opportunities for me in my career, and now I want to create opportunities for others."
The NAUDL's Board Chairman, Leonard A. Gail, added: "The NAUDL board is ecstatic that Linda Listrom will be our new Executive Director. Her professionalism, smarts, and passion for academic debate will serve our organization, the Urban Debate Network, and most importantly our students incredibly well. We believe Linda will soon establish herself as a leader in education and youth development circles much as she built a well-earned reputation as a superb trial lawyer."
Listrom said debating was instrumental in her life. In high school and at the University of Houston, debate fueled her desire for and filled her with the confidence to pursue a law career at a time when women were underrepresented in the field. Debating is even a family tradition, as Listrom's parents met as debaters and she herself met her husband while on her college debate team.
She comes to the NAUDL after a celebrated law career. During her 33-year tenure at Jenner & Block she received numerous awards and recognitions that included being inducted as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, named by Law & Politics as one of its Illinois Super Lawyers for five straight years, and listed as one of the 500 leading lawyers in the U.S. by LawDragon Magazine. Listrom graduated from Harvard Law School in 1977, and received her B.A. degree magna cum laude in 1974 from the University of Houston.
The NAUDL facilitates participation in organized debate activities for as many urban students as possible. The Urban Debate Network includes 24 cities, and more than 50,000 students over the last 10 years have participated. The NAUDL has fueled significant growth over the past few years, and Listrom wants to further that trend.
"I want to continue the growth of urban debate by working to launch more leagues in partnership with school districts," she said. "Debate boosts academic achievement and helps students become college and career ready."
Peer reviewed and published research demonstrates that debate dramatically increases high school graduation rates, GPAs, and ACT scores. See http://urbandebate.org/urbandebateworks.shtml.
Melissa Wade, Executive Director of Forensics at Emory University, Co-Director of the National Debate Project, and former NAUDL Urban Debate Champion of the Year believes Listrom is a great choice to lead the NAUDL. "Debate advances the advocacy skills necessary for responsible civic discourse, and the NAUDL provides academic debate opportunities for underserved students in large urban school systems," she said. "Linda Listrom was a top intercollegiate debate competitor when very few women or people of color participated. That experience cannot help but inform her NAUDL leadership. It augurs well for her ability to help enfranchise as many students as possible through debate, and to help the NAUDL level the education playing field."
Contact: |
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Leonard A. Gail, NAUDL Board Chair |
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312-343-3502, [email protected] |
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Shiyin Wang, NAUDL Director of External Relations |
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312-427-0388, [email protected] |
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SOURCE National Association for Urban Debate Leagues
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