The conference, spearheaded by team heads Sophie Saxl ‘26, Lauren Nam ‘26, Simon Smith ‘26, and faculty advisor Christine Payne, featured 15 NYC schools and introduced novices to the model congress activity.

The conference began with a keynote address from Hon. Ronnie Abrams, a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Honorable Judge Abrams spoke to students in the Martin Theater about her extensive legal career, from clerking for Judge Thomas P. Griesa to serving as Deputy in Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to her founding of the Young Adult Opportunity Program for non-violent defendants. The opening ceremony culminated in a Q&A panel where audience members were able to ask Hon. Judge Abrams about her work and expertise in the legal field. 

Dalton upperclassmen chaired mock congressional committees on topics such as Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works, and more. The day consisted of almost five hours of small committee debate, culminating with an hour of full session debate where all of the committees joined together in the theater.

The Dalton Model Congress team looks forward to an exciting year ahead as the #1-ranked team in the country!