McConnell Center Celebrates our 2025 Moot Court Regional Champions
By Kara Beth Poe
Louisville, Ky. (November 17, 2025)
The McConnell Center’s Moot Court team traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, this past weekend to compete in the Drake regional competition at Drake University. All three of our teams advanced to the Octofinal on the second day of competition.
A few of our team members came home with accolades!
- First place Orator: Clara Heberling
- Fifth place Orator: Bradfield Ross
- First place overall, Drake Regional Champions: Clara Heberling and Bradfield Ross
- Quarterfinalists of the Drake Regional Competition: Ezra Foote and Emma White
We are very proud of our students, who have dedicated numerous hours of practice to this accomplishment, and of our coach, Sean Williamson, McConnell Scholar Class of 2011.
Since its founding in 1991, the McConnell Center has awarded over $5.7 million in scholarships to more than 250 McConnell Scholars. In addition, the Center supports professional military education for hundreds of U.S. Army officers and offers impactful civic education programs for K-12 educators and students across the Commonwealth.
The Center’s public programming—including its Distinguished Speaker Series, publications, conferences, and podcasts—has earned national acclaim and been recognized by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni as “an oasis of excellence” in American higher education.
Applications for the McConnell Scholars Class of 2030 will be due on December 1, 2025. Visit our website for more information about the McConnell Scholars Program and to access the application.