Sixteen regional finalists are left from 120 entrants competing for this year's Law Society of Scotland Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Tournament.

Pupils from the school Mearns Castle High and the High School of Glasgow will be competing against teams from Cumnock Academy and Kirkcudbright Academy in Glasgow University Union debating chamber on Thursday. A second team from each of the Glasgow schools will participate in the regional final event at Edinburgh's National Galleries on Tuesday, 20 March, alongside pupils from the third Glasgow school, St Aloysius, and Earlston in the Borders.

The last 16 of the competition have now reached the four regional finals.

The other successful teams will debate in events to be held in Aberdeen Town House Dundee City Chambers, Edinburgh's National Galleries, as part of the Society's involvement in the 'A Union for a' that' project marking the union of the Scottish and English Parliaments in 1707.

The regional finals will be preceded by activity workshops provided by the project for the successful 16 teams and their school friends, at each host venue. The impromptu debates of the evening will be announced to teams one hour in advance of the first debate commencing and will continue the theme of the workshops, by focusing on issues relating to the Union, or democracy.

Martin Shannon (m.shannon@admin.gla.ac.uk)

Press are invited to attend both the afternoon workshops and the debates in the evening. To confirm contact Val McEwan at the Law Society of Scotland on 0131 226 8884 or Alison Diamond, Project Manager of A Union for A' That on 0131 535 1375 prior to attending.

Dundee Regional Final, City Chambers on Tuesday, 13 March High School of Dundee George Heriot's School, Edinburgh Stewart's Melville College, Edinburgh Wallace High School, Stirling

Aberdeen Regional Final, City Chambers on Thursday, 15 March Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen Craigmount High School, Edinburgh St Columba's High, Perth Morrisons, Crieff

Edinburgh Regional Final, National Galleries on Tuesday, 20 March Mearns Castle High, Glasgow St Aloysius, Glasgow Earlston High School, Borders High School of Glasgow

Glasgow Regional Final, Glasgow University GU Debating Chamber on Thursday, March 22 Kirkcudbright Academy, Dumfries & Galloway Mearns Castle High, Glasgow Cumnock Academy, Ayrshire High School of Glasgow

Further information: Contact Val McEwan or Suzy Powell in Corporate Communications at the Law Society of Scotland on 0131 226 8884 or 0131 476 8115. Email: valeriemcewan@lawscot.org.uk / suzypowell@lawscot.org.uk

First published: 15 March 2007