Stuart Singer (through Boies Schiller)
Boies Schiller accomplice Stuart Singer just lately added day-to-day agency administration to his ample record of duties, becoming a member of Sigrid McCawley and Matthew Schwartz as co-managing companions whereas David Boies transitions out of his function as agency chairman. It’s lots to tackle for a accomplice nonetheless busy operating his personal e book of enterprise and solely a pair years faraway from a most cancers combat. However, as he instructed Litigation Each day, when he was requested about taking over the added accountability, he instructed Boies and Jonathan Schiller he was up for it “in the event that they thought it will be useful to the agency” that he labored at for the final 24 years.
Earlier than taking over his new gig, Singer wrapped up a job serving to out a trigger he’s cared about for even longer than the final 24 years. Like a whole lot of distinguished attorneys, Singer’s skilled journey began with aggressive coverage debate.
A graduate of Miami Senior Excessive within the Little Havana neighborhood, he credit his entry to debate for bringing him to conventional collegiate debate powerhouse Northwestern. That call labored out nicely for him, having received the Nationwide Debate Event for the Wildcats. And, in flip, his time at Northwestern propelled him to Harvard Legislation, operating the legislation evaluate, clerking for Justice Byron White, and a Biglaw profession.
It’s telling when somebody sporting accolades from president of Harvard Legislation Evaluate to Supreme Court docket clerk to Biglaw managing accomplice isolates one highschool expertise as transformative. And for the final a number of years, Singer has labored to ensure that expertise stays out there to future generations.
From 2017 till earlier this yr, Singer served because the chairman of the board of the Nationwide Affiliation for City Debate Leagues, a company working with 20 leagues throughout the nation to supply internal metropolis public faculty college students with entry to coverage debate competitors. Historically a staple highschool extracurricular providing, debate had more and more turn into the province of personal faculties or suburban public faculties. The city debate league system arose to reverse that pattern and produce applications again to metropolitan public faculties. At this level, NAUDL and its affiliated applications attain round 10,000 college students yearly.
That attain issues as a result of analysis carried out on the influence of simply gaining access to debate applications finds that:
- For every semester {that a} pupil debates, their particular person grades enhance
- City debaters usually tend to check as college-ready in English, Studying, Math, and Science
- City debaters have each a better highschool commencement fee
- City debaters have a increased fee of faculty enrollment
- City debaters usually tend to attend a four-year faculty
And as an city public faculty graduate himself, Singer’s dedication to the city debate league undertaking is private.
Debaters don’t must turn into attorneys, in fact. However few educational endeavors exterior of debate breed the nerdtastic enjoyment in analysis and evaluation that make authorized work a thrill slightly than a slog. I as soon as learn an outline of a debate within the Nineteen Twenties between American and British college students that mentioned, “The People ready their case like attorneys arguing earlier than a decide, their arguments confirmed factual mastery of the topic and have been nicely organized; the Englishmen made intelligent and witty speeches which amused the viewers.” That sums up the distinction between the 2 nationwide traditions. American-style debate nonetheless isn’t constructed on sounding fairly — it might in reality alienate an unfamiliar ear — as a substitute inserting all its emphasis on analysis and proof evaluation.
Debate does extra to reward hours scouring digital analysis and briefing out wonderful distinctions between conflicting help, monitoring the movement observe and litigation technique expertise that take up much more of the day as a litigator than attempting to attraction jurors. As Singer notes, debate encourages a workforce tradition of celebrating analysis that’s perfect for working on this career. Boies instructed Litigation Each day of Singer “I feel he actually, genuinely, as I do, enjoys what we do,” and companies work greatest when individuals actually benefit from the mission.
Through the years, Boies Schiller has taken benefit of that tradition. Boies debated in highschool and on the College of Redlands, the place Singer would later coach whereas in legislation faculty, together with teaching former BSF accomplice Invoice Isaacson. The NAUDL goals to maintain this pipeline open for college kids at faculties struggling among the most daunting useful resource challenges within the nation.
Earlier this yr, the group’s annual dinner honored Singer’s tenure with a brief video with appearances by Boies and Massey & Gail’s Lenny Gail.
(credit score Nationwide Affiliation for City Debate Leagues)
Singer’s chairmanship concerned navigating city debate leagues via the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s not simple to persuade a highschool pupil to surrender their weekends bussing to some far off campus to debate the finer factors of infrastructure coverage once they do get to hang around with a bunch of like-minded friends. Convincing them to throw themselves into analysis to allow them to Zoom from house is a complete different stage.
And but the city debate league program survived the lockdown and continues to thrive with help from Boies Schiller, White & Case, and different Biglaw and boutique companies represented on the board. But it surely can all the time use extra assist and if there’s an area chapter in your space, take into account serving to them out straight.
After Battling Most cancers, Boies Schiller Rainmaker Stuart Singer Tackles One thing New: Day-to-Day Agency Administration [Litigation Daily]
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Legislation and co-host of Pondering Like A Lawyer. Be happy to electronic mail any ideas, questions, or feedback. Comply with him on Twitter or Bluesky when you’re inquisitive about legislation, politics, and a wholesome dose of faculty sports activities information. Joe additionally serves as a Managing Director at RPN Government Search.
