Cooper Moran, a law student at the University of Alabama School of Law and former reporter for The Tennessee Star, recently participated in oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Moran’s involvement stemmed from the law school’s Appellate Advocacy Clinic, which enables students to gain experience by working on real cases under faculty supervision.
Moran and his classmate Camdyn Neal presented a case involving claims of qualified immunity, which centered on whether two police officers were legally protected after allegedly violating a client’s Fourth Amendment rights. The case was heard by a panel of judges, including Judge Charles R. Wilson, who commended the students and the clinic for their argument.
Moran’s involvement in constitutional issues dates back to high school, when he won the 2018 National Constitution Bee — a scholarship competition for students in grades 8 through 12.
The event, relaunching in October 2026, is organized by The Star News Education Foundation, a non-profit founded by the leadership of Star News Digital Media, Inc., which owns and operates The Star.
As the winner of the 2018 National Constitution Bee, Moran was awarded a scholarship and took a trip to Washington, D.C. in July 2018. During that visit, he was at the U.S. Capitol when then-Supreme Court nominee, now justice, Brett Kavanaugh made his first walk through the halls of Congress with Vice President Mike Pence to meet with senators ahead of his confirmation hearings.
Following his win at the competition, Moran went on to work as a reporter for The Star before pursuing law school.
The National Constitution Bee is based on The Guide to the Constitution and Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students, co-authored by The Star‘s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy and Claudia Henneberry.
The guide provides a historical overview of the Constitution and Bill of Rights from an originalist perspective and is used by students preparing for the competition.
The 2026 National Constitution Bee will be held in Brentwood. For more information, visit nationalconstitutionbee.org.
Moran graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law at the end of the 2025 academic year and is currently clerking for a federal district court judge.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Cooper Moran and Camdyn Neal” by University of Alabama School of Law.Â
