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Margaret (1975-1978)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?

2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Margaret is a Senior Lecturer in Communication Arts and Science at Penn State.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

According to the Digital Collegian, Margaret tries to create a "party atmosphere" in her classroom. The article mentions popcorn and pretzels. What about beer?

4. What else do we know?

Lately, Margaret is exploring a research topic that might interest you: "Expedited Review of Dirty Books."

Margaret was formerly a member of the bar in Wisconsin. Yes, she's yet another attorney to abandon that profession for the academy.

JCZ

Josh (1990-1994)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?

2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Josh is a lawyer in the Washington office of Bracewell & Giuliani (yes, that one). The firm seems to specialize in "government relations," which is DC code for lobbying.

Now available in Spanish!

Try to guess whether or not he's a partner:

"Everybody says they have an open door policy, but at Bracewell we really mean it," pointed out Josh Zive, who is a government relations attorney in Bracewell's D.C. office. "The partners at Bracewell treat associates as colleagues and go out of their way to include associates in the most important and interesting aspects of their work."

Hmmm.

2017 Update: Bracewell page.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Well, Josh was "the BBC's election law expert for international press coverage" on the 2004 Presidential contest.

4. What else do we know?

Josh is a Jayhawk hoops fan.

He's spent way too much time thinking about O.J. Then again, he loves the courts.

JG

Joel (1971-1974)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?

2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Since 1977, Joel has been a trial lawyer. He currently works for Husch & Eppenberger LLC.

2017 Update: personal webpage.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Well, I found an entertainment monthly magazine that noted that Joel is "more than just a 'nice Jewish boy from Johnson County' - his choice of words."

According to a July 7, 2004, article in the Daily Record and the Kansas City Daily News-Press, Joel spoke at the KCLSA meeting. That's the Kansas City Legal Secretaries Association.

4. What else do we know?

Joel has authored a number of legal thrillers. The latest is Deadlocked.

Apparently, this sideline provides opportunities to travel and appear at conferences. After all, the first run printing of his second book was 120,000 copies (!).

SE

Steve (1983-1987)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?



2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Steve is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Oklahoma.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Not much, so far as I can tell. Perhaps the media doesn't recognize the value of "philosophy of mind."

Steve tried to influence the "Right to Work" ballot question in Oklahoma, but was unsuccessful.

4. What else do we know?

As an "ethics expert," Steve has been asked to weigh in on whether internet file swapping (music, film, games) is theft -- or merely civil disobedience.

Stevel traveled to Dallas in 2001 to talk about utility theory and to Stevens Point, WI in 2004 to talk about Values. The paper associated with the earlier conference received an award for best paper by a graduate student or recent PhD.

BW

Bill (1971-1974)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?



2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Bill is a vice president (and spokesman) for Bartlett and Co., which is an agribusiness firm.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Yes. This is from the Kansas City Business Journal, August 10, 2001:

"We're a strong grain company," said Bill Webster, vice president of Bartlett. "But we're very independent. And very private."

"It's a long-standing, very financially strong agribusiness," said Bill Webster, Bartlett's vice president.

"We have a long and proud tradition here," he said. "We have a strong balance sheet, a strong financial position. We're a good company."

Oh, and every now and then, the newspapers mention his former political career. He was once the Attorney General of Missouri and a gubernatorial candidate (he lost to Mel Carnahan in 1992).

4. What else do we know?

Bill, with former Attorney General John Ashcroft, argued for Missouri in the famous Supreme Court abortion case Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989).

The Court, sharply divided along ideological lines, voted 5–4 to uphold the Missouri law. The Court ruled that Missouri was within constitutional bounds in passing legislation to withhold public funding for abortions and in prohibiting pre-abortion counseling by public employees. Three of the five-member majority sought to take the decision one step further by striking down Roe's blanket protection of abortions in the first trimester, but the other two justices refused to go that far. The second-trimester testing requirement was upheld, the majority having accepted the arguments for a "compelling State interest" in the second trimester.

Webster narrowed the constitutional protection of Roe v. Wade. The decision indicated that some degree of State regulation (and criminalization) of abortion was consistent with the Rehnquist Court's view of privacy rights.

Webster was admired by former President George H.W. Bush.

CEW

Eddie (1983-1987)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?



2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Eddie is a partner attorney with Freeborn & Peters, LLP in Chicago.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Sort of. Eddie's move from AT&T to the private firm was noted in the Chicago Sun-Times, September 6, 2004.

4. What else do we know?

Eddie is on the Board of Directors of the Renaissance Collaborative, which seeks to "provide a comprehensive environment of housing, employment skill training and wellness that assists individuals, when possible, in achieving self-sufficiency."

Eddie is also on the Board of Directors of the People's Community Development Association of Chicago.

GH

Geoff (1979-1983)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?



2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Geoff is a lawyer in Kansas City. He helps make sure small businesses get paid.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Apparently.

In connection with the celebration of Law Day USA on May 1, The Missouri Bar recently offered newspapers a free series of articles written by lawyers about the laws applying to corporations and everyone affected by them.

Geoff's article was on his specialization: "Businesses Looking to Maximize Revenues Need to Monitor Their Credit and Collection Procedures."

4. What else do we know?

Geoff misses his dog.

Apparently, Geoff speaks Greek!

JBR

Jim (1981-1985)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?



2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Jim is an attorney with Baird, Williams and Greer, LLP in Phoenix, Arizona.

It's a lively practice, apparently:

Jim garnished over $100,000 from a trust originating with the sinking of the Titanic.

Take that James Cameron!

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Often. In 2000, Jim was the Gore/Lieberman national director for disability outreach. On one occasion, he debated his counterpart in the Bush/Cheney campaign at the National Press Club!

Jim has also worked on health policy issues for Joe Lieberman's 2004 campaign, Howard Dean's campaign and Kerry/Edwards.

Though none of these candidates won their elections, Jim has continued to press for important legal and medical rights for the disabled.

4. What else do we know?

In 2003, BizAZ recognized Jim as one of 14 "Up and Coming" lawyers in the state.

In 2000, Jim was an "observation team leader" in the Florida count/recount.

Screen Actors Guild candidate (and '80s babe) Morgan Fairchild is one of his clients!


Unfortunately, like Gore, Lieberman, Dean and Kerry... Fairchild lost.

GMH

Grant (1983-1984)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?



2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

Grant is a Professor of Law at Hofstra University.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Does the blogosphere count? Of course! How about an NGO press release?

More seriously, Grant was one of may law professors trying to help Illinois Governor Ryan make his sweeping death penalty clemency decision.

4. What else do we know?

He holds a Master's degree in European & American Art History.

Grant is in high demand on the law school junket circuit.

Finally, Grant has something to do with the current President's Wilsonian vision in the Middle East.

dbr

David (1980-1984)

1. What does this past Kansas debater look like now?



2. What does this ex-debater now do for a living?

David recently worked as a tutor at the Community College of Denver Online Writing Lab. I'm not sure how well the Socratic method worked in that format.

Currently, David is a legal assistant for Eggers & Zimmerman, Law & Mediation practice in Salina, Kansas.

Sometimes, he describes himself as a typist.

3. Has this former debater been "in the news"?

Do listserves count? David is often an active participant on eDebate and many of his posts concern public policy issues and figures.

4. What else do we know?

David is a beat poet, published widely on the 'net. He is included in the NoneList Anthology, for both his poetry and his prose.

David follows the NBA and is a Celtics fan.

And then there's this, which has something to do with David's infatuation with Melanie. Whoever that is.

At least I understand this part of it:

...a scratch [in a vinyl album] ain't so bad cuz it connects you to the soul of the party it was scratched at...

Amen to that.


Update: I corrected the employment information in response to David's email.