Kristen Waggoner Named Winner of the 2025 Richard D. McLellan Prize for Advancing Free Speech and Expression

Hello John,

The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal today announced that Kristen Waggoner, CEO, President, and Chief Counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), has been named the recipient of the second annual Richard D. McLellan Prize of $50,000 for Advancing Free Speech and Expression.

A distinguished blue-ribbon jury selected Waggoner for her visionary and effective leadership in defending the First Amendment freedoms of all Americans.

Landmark Leadership in Free Speech
For more than a decade, 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 respond to this evolving frontier, with early successes such as Tennessee’s adoption of ADF’s model bill to protect consumers from politically motivated account closures.

A Model of Civility
Even amid high-profile litigation, Waggoner has modeled respect, integrity, and openness—qualities that strengthen public trust in free expression. She routinely engages across ideological divides, exemplifying the best traditions of civil debate envisioned by the First Amendment.

From Our Leadership
“The jury was unanimous in our admiration for Kristen Waggoner’s indispensable work,” said Governor John Engler, McLellan Prize Jury Chairman and Kirk Center Vice-Chair. “She has ensured that the star of free speech remains fixed in our constitutional constellation.”

Dr. Jeff Nelson, Executive Director & CEO of the Russell Kirk Center, added: “Kristen Waggoner’s courage and vision have strengthened the foundations of American liberty. In her defense of free expression, she also champions what Russell Kirk called the ‘Permanent Things’—those enduring moral and cultural truths without which freedom itself cannot survive.”
 

About the McLellan Prize
The Richard D. McLellan Prize for Advancing Free Speech and Expression honors the life and legacy of Michigan attorney and public servant Richard D. McLellan, whose career exemplified commitment to the First Amendment. Awarded annually, the $50,000 prize recognizes those whose work ensures that freedom of speech—America’s first freedom—is appreciated and protected for future generations.

By honoring Kristen Waggoner, the Russell Kirk Center affirms its mission to advance cultural renewal by preserving the principles of ordered liberty, moral imagination, and enduring constitutional freedoms.

For more information about the upcoming McLellan Prize Award Gala on November 19, 2025 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kirk Center Events director, Emily Corwin ([email protected]). Tickets for the event may be purchased here.

Yours in Ordered Liberty,

Jeffrey O. Nelson, Ph.D.
Executive Director & CEO