Recent Work
Allison Matulli
Allison Matulli, Ed.D., J.D., M.Ed. is an author, law professor, childhood educator, and Free Speech advocate and Fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum. Dr. Matulli has dedicated her career to helping communities and their children understand the law, with specific attention to the First Amendment. Combining her legal training and education background, Allison is also the founder of The Little Lawyers, which empowers communities and children to learn the law. Dr. Matulli recently completed her Ed.D. with a doctorate thesis on Free Speech and Digital Citizenship. She is also a Global Fulbright Scholar focusing on how children experience freedom of speech in various countries worldwide, both online and offline. She is a lecturer at Howard University and serves as a criminal justice adjunct professor at Florida International University and affiliate faculty at the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership.
Her book Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment (Hachette/Running Press Kids) has garnered broad interest from educators and free speech advocates and was named a Junior Library Guild Selection and included in the Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2023. She is the author of three forthcoming picture books, including I Am Because We Are and another picture book, forthcoming from Disney. We Are Free (RISE x PRH) invites the youngest readers to understand how the First Amendment affects their lives and the world around them.
Matulli was named one of Miami’s Most Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry by Legacy magazine, among other accolades.
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Allison’s lifelong quest to connect with and understand others has led her to visit 30 countries and live in several nations including Italy, Argentina, and England. She also speaks fluent Italian.
Allison is always looking to engage in inspiring conversations about “right” and “wrong”. After all, she is a graduate of Howard University School of Law – a school known for pioneering the Civil Rights Movement. She understands how law drives the most dramatic, emotional stories of American history (and present!) and aims to approach her writing for children in a way that passes that intrigue and passion on to the next generation.
She lives in Miami with her husband and two children. Visit www.thelittlelawyers.com or follower her online:
Praise for Allison’s writing in YOUR FREEDOM, YOUR POWER:
★ “This offering’s subtitle includes the words ‘A Kid’s Guide,’ and here those words are especially apt. Readers are addressed directly, kids’ rights and relatable issues are kept at the forefront of every discussion . . . . Most important, this book empowers kids, telling them how to use their voices and defend their rights.”
– Booklist, starred review
“Current, insightful, and savvy.”
– Kirkus Reviews
“Matulli and Castro-Malaspina break down the functions of the First Amendment in this handy guide to American politics. Through their conversational approach, the authors demystify the document to present a primer for young people.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
“An ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to middle school and community library Political Science collections for young readers.”
– Midwest Book Review
“What makes this guide so powerful is that while most books about the First Amendment provide examples of landmark cases brought before the courts in defense of adult rights, all the cases here are brought on behalf of minors.”
– School Library Journal