{"id":381,"date":"2011-10-19T13:44:38","date_gmt":"2011-10-19T18:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hlsorgs.com\/bsa\/?page_id=381"},"modified":"2026-07-20T04:44:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T04:44:11","slug":"final-round","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/orgs.law.harvard.edu\/bsa\/ames-competition\/final-round\/","title":{"rendered":"Ames Final Round"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n

The Ames Final Round<\/h1>\n
<\/div>\n

The Final Round marks the culmination of the Ames Competition. Two teams, having advanced through the Qualifying and Semifinal Rounds based on the strength of their written and oral advocacy, argue before a distinguished bench of legal leaders.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n \n

\n
Congratulations to the
2025 Best Overall Team<\/div>\n
The Honorable Charles Fried Memorial Team<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n

The Case<\/p>\n\n \n

\n
State of Ames v. Welles<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

Daniel Welles is a serial entrepreneur whose ambition has always outstripped his ability. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, things appeared to be finally falling into place: he had just converted an old gin distillery into a hand-sanitizer manufactory when demand for hand sanitizer spiked. He was not, however, able to capitalize on his good timing. As part of the declaration of a public health emergency, the Governor of the State of Ames authorized the state hospital system to operate Welles’ equipment for the State’s public benefit.<\/p>\n

His equipment was returned after the emergency ended, but his opportunity had passed. He was never paid for its use, and Ames lacks any statutory or common-law mechanism for a taking of private property for public benefit. Welles sued Ames directly under the Fifth Amendment, arguing that it provides its own cause of action for “just compensation” and effects a waiver of state sovereign immunity. The district court dismissed; the Court of Appeals for the Ames Circuit reversed. The Supreme Court granted certiorari on two questions:<\/p>\n

\n
1.<\/div>
Whether the Fifth Amendment creates a self-executing cause of action to redress an alleged taking.<\/div><\/div>\n
2.<\/div>
Whether the Eleventh Amendment bars plaintiffs from seeking \u201cjust compensation\u201d directly under the Fifth Amendment from a State in federal court absent a waiver of sovereign immunity.<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n

Read the Parties’ Briefs<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Petitioner Brief<\/a>\n Respondent Brief<\/a>\n Reply Brief<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n

The Bench<\/h2>\n
\n
The Hon. Elizabeth Prelogar<\/div>
Solicitor General of the United States (2021\u20132025)<\/div><\/div>\n
The Hon. Kevin Newsom<\/div>
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit<\/div><\/div>\n
The Hon. Leondra Kruger<\/div>
Supreme Court of California<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n

The Finalist Teams<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
Petitioner<\/div>\n
The William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. Memorial Team<\/div>\n
\n
Lev Cohen<\/div>\n
Justin Curl<\/div>\n
Sophie Li \u2014 Best Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Sophia Loughlin<\/div>\n
G. Terrell Seabrooks \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Sadie Statman<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n
Respondent<\/div>\n
The Charles Fried Memorial Team<\/div>\n
\n
Nathalie Beauchamps<\/div>\n
Joe Caplis<\/div>\n
Joshua Grambow<\/div>\n
Nicholas Nelson \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Paneez Oliai \u2014 Oralist<\/span><\/div>\n
Coy Ozias<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n

Read Their Semi-Final Briefs<\/h2>\n

Read the Semi-Finals briefs that earned both teams a place in the Final Round.<\/p>\n

\n The Coleman Jr. Memorial Team \u2192<\/a>\n The Charles Fried Memorial Team \u2192<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

A Tradition Since 1912<\/p>\n View Past Ames Competition Winners \u2192<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n

\n

Questions about the Final Round?
Email the Ames Committee at amesHLS@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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