Miami-Dade Urban Debate League Kicks Off 2026-2027 Season Opener, Presented by Bilzin Sumberg
Updated: 5 days ago
MIAMI, FL — September 12, 2026 — The Miami-Dade Urban Debate League (MDUDL) launched its 2026-2027 competition season this past Saturday with Tournament 1, held at Miami Dade College North. The tournament was made possible by presenting sponsor Bilzin Sumberg, whose $10,000 donation supported the event.
Debaters from across Miami-Dade County's Title I schools competed on the resolution: "The United States federal government should establish national health insurance in the United States." Students faced off across Middle School, High School Novice, and High School Varsity divisions.
Division champions were crowned in all three divisions: Mia Machado and Marina Salcedo of Ponce de Leon Middle School won the Middle School Division; Issabella Millan and Natalia Aviles of Robert Morgan SHS Debate Team won the High School Novice Division; and Alessandro De Palma of Miami Senior High School won the High School Varsity Division.
Across all divisions combined, Redland Middle School and Miami Senior High School took home the tournament's overall school sweepstakes awards.
In addition to competition, MDUDL used tournament day to invest in its coaching corps, hosting a professional development session for 10 coaches. The session covered ballot and flow debrief techniques, the purpose of each constructive and rebuttal speech, strategies for supporting Debate en Español students, topicality, and how to keep momentum going with students after a tournament.
"Our season opener is always a great early snapshot of how much our students and coaches have grown," said Kalyn Lee, MDUDL Program Director. "Seeing Redland Middle School and Miami Senior High School take the top spots on day one — and getting our coaches even more tools to bring back to their classrooms — is exactly the kind of momentum we want heading into the rest of the season."
"Debate gives students the opportunity to strengthen their critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills while building the confidence to make their voices heard," said Adrian Felix, Partner, Bilzin Sumberg. "Bilzin Sumberg is proud to support the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League and its work to create meaningful opportunities for students across our community. By investing in these young thinkers and leaders today, we are helping develop the talent that will shape Miami's future."
MDUDL is grateful to Bilzin Sumberg for its continued investment in Miami-Dade students and educational equity through competitive debate.
About Miami-Dade Urban Debate League
Miami-Dade Urban Debate League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, affiliated with the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL), that provides competitive policy debate programming to students at Title I schools across Miami-Dade County. Through debate, MDUDL builds critical thinking, public speaking, and advocacy skills that prepare students for college, career, and civic life. For more information, visit miamiudl.org.
About Bilzin Sumberg
Bilzin Sumberg is a Florida-based commercial law firm with a local footprint, a national presence, and a global perspective. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in the heart of Miami, the firm operates as a trusted advisor to a diverse range of domestic and international clients—from high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and private developers to Fortune 500 companies. Bilzin Sumberg delivers top-tier, collaborative legal counsel across core practice areas, including real estate, land development and government relations, corporate, tax and private wealth, business finance and restructuring, litigation, and public-private partnerships. Known for its sophisticated deep industry insight and active civic engagement, the firm provides the experience, resources, and strategic guidance clients need to make their business vision a reality. For more information, visit bilzin.com.
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