history

The Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet Debate Society (also known as The Barefoot Debaters) originated in 1979. The Law Magnet High School had only been open for a complete school year as a part-time school. A group of Law Magnet students joined together and decided that the school needed a debate program. They convinced Dr. Opal Allread and Dr. Harry Guier to sponsor them. They soon learned they were not allowed to compete in the University Interscholastic League ([|UIL]) because the school recruited students from the entire Dallas Independent School District ([|DISD]). Three of the students - Benny Alexander, Matt Alexander and Tracie Greer - decided to petition the UIL for admission. The three prepared their arguments and made them before the UIL membership committee and WON!. The team was officially born.

The 1980 school year marked the beginning of the team's involvement in the highly competitive Dallas-Fort Worth debate circuit. The team competed in several local [|Texas Forensic Association] with immediate success. The total squad consisted of no less than six policy (CX) debate teams and three Lincoln Douglas debaters. During the Fall Semester two of teams began their official UIL competition. The two teams "closed out" district, regionals and state! The Law Magnet had won the state UIL tournament in its first full year of competition.

In the years since, the Law Magnet has continued to work hard and compete at the highest levels. Below is a small snippet of the highlights.

||  || **Don Gonzalez & Bennie Alexander and Traci Greer & Matt Alexander - Policy Debate** //1981// //UIL State Champions// || || //2012// //National Forensic League National Tournament//
 * National Championship Tournaments ||  || State Championship Tournaments ||
 * ||  || **Angela Taylor ('02) & Anastasia Cunningham ('01) - Policy Debate** //2000 UIL State - Octo Finalists// ||
 * = **Charlie Stephens ('10) & Eddie Camacho ('10) - Policy Debate** //2010 Tournament of Champions// ||  ||
 * = **Charlie Stephens ('10) & Eddie Camacho ('10) - Policy Debate** //2010 Tournament of Champions// ||  ||
 * ||  || **Nery "Rolando" Velasquez ('12) & Ivan Garcia ('13) - Policy Debate** //2011 TFA State - Double-Octo Finalists//  ||
 * = **Nery "Rolando" Velasquez ('12) & Ivan Garcia ('13) - Policy Debate**

//2012 Urban Debate League Nationals - Octo Finals// ||  || **Kelsey Annu-Essuman ('12) - LD Debate** //2012 TFA State -// //Triple-Octo Finalist// || //2013// //NSDA National Tournament// //(*formerly known as the National Forensic League)//
 * **Yastril Nanez ('13) and Itzel Padilla ('13) - Policy Debate**

//2013 Urban Debate League Nationals// ||  ||   || **Alex Baez ('16) and Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate** 2014 NSDA National Tournament **Kimberly Pesina ('15) - LD Debate** 2014 NSDA National Tournament **Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate** //2014 NSDA National Tournament// *Law Magnet won the Debate Sweepstakes Award @ NSDA Districts ||  || **Dino De La O ('156) - LD Debate** //2014 TFA State -// //Double-Octo Finalist// ||   ||=   || **Alex Baez ('16) and Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate** //2015 NSDA National Tournament// - reached elimination rounds **Crayton Gerst ('16) and Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate** 2015 NSDA National Tournament - reached elimination rounds //2015 Tournament of Champions// **Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate** //2015 Tournament of Champions// ||  || **Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate** //2015 TFA State -// //Quarter Finalist// **Crayton Gerst & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate** //2015 TFA State -// //Quarter Finalist// **Alex Baez & Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate** //2015 TFA State -// //Double-Octo Finalist//  || **__ Tournament of Champions (TOC)  __** **** Michael Gao ('18) ** - US Extemp** // 2016 Tournament of Champions // **-** //Quarter Finalist//
 * = **Crayton Gerst ('16) and Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate** 2014 NSDA National Tournament
 * **L'Aunjanee Carriere ('15) - Worlds Debate** 2015 National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament

**Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate** //2016 Tournament of Champions - 15th Speaker// **Crayton Gerst ('16) & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate** //2016 Tournament of Champions - Octo Finalist// //5th Speaker (Crayton) & 20th Speaker (Vernon)// **Evan Gilbert ('16) & Larry Taylor III ('16) - Policy Debate** //2016 Tournament of Champions// //--// __ National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) __  **Michael Gao ('18)** //2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier//


 * Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate**// 2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier //

**Cassandra Lizardi ('16)** //2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier//


 * Juan Martinez ('16) - LD Debate**//2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier//

//2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier//
 * Kia Jackson ('16)**

**David Rocha ('16) - LD Debate**//2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier//


 * Crayton Gerst ('16) & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate**  //2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier//
 * Evan Gilbert ('16) & Larry Taylor III ('16) - Policy Debate**  // 2016 NDCA Nationals - Double-Octa Finalist //

**Gabriel Sanchez ('16) & Rafael Sanchez ('16) - Policy Debate**   //2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier//


 * Gerardo Guzman ('17) & Harrison Hamric ('17) - Policy Debate**  //2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier//

//--// __**National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA)**__   **Michael Gao ('18) - LD Debate** //2016 NSDA Nationals// **Gabriel Sanchez ('16) & Rafael Sanchez ('16) - Policy Debate**  //2016 NSDA Nationals// **Crayton Gerst ('16) & Dino De La O('16) - Policy Debate**  //2016 NSDA Nationals// **Evan Gilbert ('16) & Gerardo Guzman ('16) - Policy Debate**  //2016 NSDA Nationals// *Law Magnet won the Debate Sweepstakes Award @ NSDA Districts ||   ||  **Michael Gao ('18) - US Extemp**//2016 TFA State - Quarter Finalist// **Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate** //2016 TFA State - Quarter Finalist// **Juan Martinez ('16) - LD Debate**  //2016 TFA State - Double-Octo Finalist// **Crayton Gerst ('16) & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate** //2016 TFA State - **STATE CHAMPIONS**// //8th Speaker (Crayton)// **Evan Gilbert ('16) & Larry Taylor III ('16) - Policy Debate** //2016 TFA State - Octo Finalists// ||