The Lewis & Clark forensics team offers students the opportunity to compete on a national level with other colleges and universities in both individual events (persuasion, informative, extemporaneous, and impromptu, to name a few) and parliamentary debate. The team travels to tournaments throughout the Northwest and frequently sends competitors to top national tournaments in Virginia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and California, to name a few.

Over the pasty fifty years, Lewis & Clark has consistently ranked among the top colleges and universities in the nation in forensics.

Lewis & Clark has ranked among the top three colleges in the Northwest Forensics Conference, has sent teams to the National Parliamentary Debate Association and National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence national tournaments, and sent a host of competitors to the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament.

Lewis & Clark students have earned many individual and team honors. Keith West and Paul Bingham were the nation’s number one ranked team for the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence in 2003-04. In 2006 they represented the U.S. as our national team traveling in Great Britain. In 2005 Paul Bingham and Meredith Price won the National Parliamentary Debate Tournament. Meredith Price represented the U.S. in Britain in February of 2008, winning a 1st place speaker award. At the 2008 National Parliamentatry Debate Tournament, Eric Atcheson was selected as one of three American debaters to debate the Irish National Team. Ghazal Sharifi was the Northwest’s top individual events speaker, and Scott Cheesewright was the 2nd place overall competitor in 2008. In 2007 Lewis & Clark sent Dorothy Mix, Amy Baugher, Scott Cheesewright, and Cassie Lealamanua to Individual Events Nationals. In 2006, Scott Cheesewright advanced to semifinals in extemp, and Sage Howard and Ghazal Sharifi advanced to quarterfinals in duo. In 2005, Sharl Azar advanced to quarterfinals in persuasion.

Lewis & Clark has a number of distinguished forensics alumni, including:

• Earl Blumenauer U.S. Congressman from Oregon
• Serena Cruz former Multnomah County Commissioner
• Marcia Smith U.S. District Judge
• Larry Campbell former Speaker of the Oregon House
• Landon Mascarenez former L&C student body president now Executive Director New Mexico Teach for America
• Mark Olsen Playwright, writer, producer, Big Love (HBO)
• Stephen Dover Franklin Templeton Advisors L&C Trustee
• Roxane White Manager Denver Human Services

The Lewis & Clark Forensics Team does offer scholarships to qualified applicants. Click on the link below to complete the Forensics Scholarship Form.

Forensics Scholarship