2025 McLellan Prizes Full Event

Freedom of expression and the guarantees of the First Amendment are among our most cherished, and hard won, liberties. Their benefits can be hard to see, though they are fundamental to who we are as Americans.

On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, the Kirk Center convened our second McLellan Prizes Award Gala and honored Kristen Waggoner, President of Alliance Defending Freedom, with the grand prize for her career dedicated to the defense of freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed by our Constitution.

For more than a decade, Kristen Waggoner has created and implemented innovative strategies that secure the Golden Rule of Free Speech: Treat speech you oppose with the same protections as the speech you support.

Under her leadership, ADF achieved one of the most significant free speech victories in a generation: the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (2023), which Waggoner briefed and argued. This ruling protects Americans from being compelled by government officials to express messages contrary to their beliefs. Beyond winning 303 Creative, Waggoner has led ADF’s litigation in five other recent Supreme Court wins for free speech—including arguing Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski—and in 400 victories protecting the speech of college students from all walks of life. Under Waggoner’s leadership, ADF also helped 22 states pass laws protecting students from unconstitutional speech codes and similar policies. Internationally, ADF is engaged in hundreds of precedent-setting legal cases across six continents, defending fundamental freedoms and the right of every person to speak freely across the globe.

Beyond government threats, Waggoner has also recognized the growing challenge of private censorship in digital and financial platforms. Under her guidance, ADF launched a new Center for Free Speech in 2023 to address this evolving frontier, with early successes including Tennessee’s adoption of ADF’s model bill to protect consumers from politically motivated account closures.

The program of the award gala included remarks from:
Jeff Nelson, Executive Director & CEO of the Kirk Center
Kayla Bartsch, invocation
Rep. John Moolenaar, leading in the Pledge of Allegiance
Gov. John Engler, Prizes Jury Chairman
Jennifer Bryson, 2025 Mickey Shaprio Free Speech Fellow
Peter Bonilla, 2025 Dick & Ethie Haworth Free Speech Fellow
Hon. James C. Ho
Kristen Waggoner, President of ADF
Round table discussion including Jim Stoner (host), Greg Lukianoff (2024 McLellan Prize winner), and attorney Allyson Ho.

To learn more about the McLellan Prizes and to stay abreast of the nomination window and future events, please visit https://kirkcenter.org/mclellan-prizes.