Skip to content

2025 Ames Moot Court Competition

A close of the the Ames Moot Court Final program.
Credit: Martha Stewart

Case: State of Ames v. Daniel Welles

The Supreme Court has granted certiorari to resolve two questions:

  1. Whether the Fifth Amendment creates a self-executing cause of action to redress an alleged taking.
  2. Whether the Eleventh Amendment bars plaintiffs from seeking “just compensation” directly under the Fifth Amendment from a State in federal court absent a waiver of sovereign immunity.

Judges

  • Honorable Elizabeth Prelogar, Solicitor General of the United States (2021-2025)
  • Honorable Kevin Newsom, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit 
  • Honorable Leondra Kruger, Supreme Court of California

Teams

Charles Fried Memorial Team (Respondent)

Best Overall, Best Brief

Nathalie Beauchamps
Joe Caplis
Joshua Grambow
Nicholas Nelson (oralist)
Paneez Oliai (oralist)
Coy Ozias

William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. Memorial Team (Petitioner)

Lev Cohen
Justin Curl
Sophie Li (Winner, Best Oralist)
Sophia Loughlin
Sadie Statman
Gregory Terrell Seabrooks (oralist)

Meet the Teams

Charles Fried Memorial Team 

William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. Memorial Team