| Long Island Forensic Association | |
| Type: | Non Profit Organization |
| Location: | Nassau and Suffolk Counties, NY |
| Key People: | Lydia Esslinger, President Brother John McGrory, Treasurer |
| Homepage: | http://www.lifa.org/ |
The Long Island Forensic Association is a non-profit organization which direct high school competitive speech events. It is affiliated with the New York State Forensics League.
LIFA is a daughter league of the New York State Forensics League (NYSFL).
It is co-affiliated with the Long Island chapter of the National Catholic Forensic League (CFL).
The word "forensic" is an adjective meaning "of public debate or argument." The word is derived from the Latin word forensis, meaning "of the forum." The sense of the word "forensic" that means "pertaining to legal trials" dates from the 17th century (Oxford English Dictionary) and led to the use of the word "forensics" in reference to legal evidence.
Each year, LIFA hosts speech, congress, and debate tournaments for honors in a wide variety of events which may lead to qualification for the New York State Championship tournament. These events include: