Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Digital Instruction and Distance Learning
Doctoral
Saint Thomas University, Miami, FL
2026
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She is the author of the critically acclaimed Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment (Hachette, 2023), which earned a starred review from Booklist and was named one of the Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2023. As the founder of The Little Lawyers, she empowers a new generation of "conscious kids" to recognize that their voices are the enduring heartbeat of American civic identity.
Faculty
Faculty
Allison Matulli, Ed.D., J.D., M.Ed. ( she/her)
Lecturer and Curriculum Innovator, Technical Writing – Pre-Law
Department/Office
- Department of English
School/College
- College of Arts & Sciences
Additional Positions
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LectureDepartment of English, Writing Instructors and Lecturers
Biography
Dr. Allison Matulli is a Fellow for the First Amendment at the Freedom Forum and a Pre-Law & Technical Writing Lecturer at Howard University. A proud graduate of the civic legacy of Howard University School of Law, she embodies a tradition of transformative leadership and justice-centered education. Dr. Matulli recently completed her doctoral dissertation, Free Speech and Digital Citizenship: A Qualitative Case Study, at St. Thomas University, where she maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA.
A recognized pioneer in educational innovation, Dr. Matulli was selected for the first faculty cohort of the Google Career Launchpad Generative AI Leader Certification Program. At Howard University, she integrates academic excellence rooted in traditional pedagogical framework with an advanced curricula embedding AI-enhanced instructional systems and digital learning platforms to support student engagement, persistence, and data-informed academic performance tracking. Her pedagogical approach is rooted in her original framework, "AI + Tech Integrity: A New Age of Teaching & Learning," which aligns technological innovation with equity and academic excellence.
Dr. Matulli made history as Florida International University’s first-ever Global Fulbright Scholar, conducting landmark research on international freedom of expression across Colombia, Italy, and Trinidad and Tobago. 
As Affiliate Faculty at the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership, she continues to bridge the gap between global scholarship and local civic engagement.
As Affiliate Faculty at the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership, she continues to bridge the gap between global scholarship and local civic engagement.She is the author of the critically acclaimed Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment (Hachette, 2023), which earned a starred review from Booklist and was named one of the Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2023. As the founder of The Little Lawyers, she empowers a new generation of "conscious kids" to recognize that their voices are the enduring heartbeat of American civic identity.Her forthcoming masterpiece, WE ARE FREE (Penguin RISE, 2026), illustrated by the icon Edel Rodriguez, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. The work has earned a starred review from Kirkus. This coveted industry honor—reserved only for books of exceptional merit—lauds the work as an "impressive distillation of an essential American virtue" that will "inspire civic curiosity in even young children while reminding caregivers of rights worth fighting for and celebrating".
Through her vision, Dr. Matulli reminds us all that
"Free is a word that comes with great power."
Dr. Matulli's leadership has earned her significant regional acclaim, including the Faculty Excellence Award at FIU in 2025. She graced the cover of the renowned Legacy Magazine when Dr. Matulli was named one of Miami’s Most Prominent Black Women in Business and Industry for 2023, and then, one of South Florida’s Most Prominent & Influential Black Business Leaders of 2024 by Miami Media Group.
CONTACT: ALLISON.MATULLI@HOWARD.EDU
Education & Expertise
Education
Juris Doctorate (J.D.)
Professional/Doctoral
Howard University School of Law, Washington, DC
M.Ed. in Secondary Education
Master's
Endicott College, Elizabeth, MA
B.A. in Economics (Minors: Sociology and Fine Arts)
Bachelor's
Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA
International Study Abroad – Media & Economics in the European Union
Birkbeck College, University of London, UK
International Graduate Law Study – Comparative European Policies
Loyola Law School, Rome, Italy
Academics
Academics
ENGL 010 Tech Writing Pre-Law - English TR Virtual
Course Description and Purpose
ENGL 010 is a writing‑intensive course designed to prepare students for law‑centered academic and professional communication. The course focuses on essential legal writing skills, including structured analysis, case briefing, legal citation, memorandum drafting, persuasive legal writing, and comprehending the latest hot-topics in legal writing (such as AI). It integrates foundational legal reasoning with rigorous writing practice to support students planning careers in law, public policy, First Amendment issues (e.g. journalism), or community advocacy. Students will explore legal texts and case law while developing clarity, logical organization, professional tone, and ethical use of sources. The course situates writing within broader issues of justice, rights, and advocacy aligned with Howard’s mission.
Course Objectives & Outcomes
Students completing this course will be able to:
- Apply effective grammar and professional tone in written communication.
- Understand AI issues in legal writing.
- Organize complex legal information, especially related to the First Amendment, clearly and logically.
- Draft a structured petition, legal memoranda and persuasive arguments.
- Articulate the concept of plagiarism and avoid it.
- Organize complex legal information clearly and logically.
- Conduct basic legal research using authoritative sources.
- Brief cases using accepted professional methodology.
- Reflect on professional identity within legal and law‑adjacent contexts.
Textbook and Course Materials
| YOUR FREEDOM, YOUR POWERPUBLISHER: Hachette | Running Press ISBN: 9781285067865 |
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Expectations of this Course
This is an online course, which means most (if not all) of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an online course are the same as a traditional course. In fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills which can make these courses more demanding for some students. However, do not fear! You can do it!
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
Professional & Global Honors
- Global Fulbright Scholar Award | U.S. Department of State | 2023–2026
- Made history as the first-ever FIU instructor to receive this prestigious triple-country research award.
- Fellow for the First Amendment | Freedom Forum | 2025
- First Black woman named to this national leadership position.
- South Florida’s Most Prominent & Influential Black Business Leader | Miami Media Group / MIA Media | 2024
- Miami’s Most Prominent Black Woman in Business and Industry | Legacy Magazine | 2023
- Faculty Excellence Award | Florida International University (FIU) | 2025
- Keynote Speaker | Fulbright National Conference | 2025
Literary & Advocacy Distinctions
- Starred Review (for WE ARE FREE) | Kirkus Reviews | 2026
- Awarded for "exceptional merit" and as an "impressive distillation of an essential American virtue".
- Gold Standard Selection | Junior Library Guild | 2023, 2026
- Best of the Best Books of 2023 | Chicago Public Library | 2023
- Starred Review (for Your Freedom, Your Power) | Booklist | 2023
- Fundraising Success | The Little Lawyers | 2018–Present
- Strategically secured over $550,000 in grants and external funding to expand national civic literacy programs.
Academic Innovation
- Google Career Launchpad Participant | Google | 2026
- Selected for the inaugural faculty cohort of the Generative AI Leader Certification Program.
- AI + Tech Integrity Framework | Howard University / FIU | 2024–Present
- Developed a pioneering pedagogical framework to align ethical AI innovation with academic integrity and equity.
Featured News
Featured News
Featured News & Media
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FIU News: "FIU a Top 5 producer of Fulbright Scholars," February 2024. https://news.fiu.edu/2024/fiu-a-top-5-producer-of-fulbright-scholars
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PantherNow: "Celebrating Black women in law," May 16, 2024. https://panthernow.com/2024/05/16/celebrating-black-women-in-law/
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FIU News: "Scholar earns ‘triple Fulbright’" (FIU’s first Global Fulbright Scholar), August 28, 2023. https://news.fiu.edu/2023/fius-first-fulbright-global-scholar-to-conduct-research-in-colombia-italy-and-trinidad-tobago
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Freedom Forum: Author Profile and First Amendment Fellowship Contributions. https://www.freedomforum.org/authors/allison-matulli/
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NOTUS: "The Crackdown on Speech After Charlie Kirk’s Death Is Alarming First Amendment Groups," 2024. https://www.notus.org/trump-white-house/free-speech-charlie-kirk-death-first-amendment-hegseth
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Culture Stew Podcast, MSM Global Consulting: "Reframing Civic Engagement for Children & Caregivers: A Conversation with Allison Matulli." https://share.google/xOq2arAsFD2BQVh89
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The Daily Texan: "‘That fear is always there’: Navigating being an international student under increasing social media surveillance," June 2025. https://thedailytexan.com/2025/06/17/that-fear-is-always-there-navigating-being-an-international-student-under-increasing-social-media-surveillance/
Interviews & Multimedia
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WLRN - The Florida Roundup: "Free speech and consequences,” December 12, 2025. Link
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WUSF : "Why 'online speech is messy' when it comes to the First Amendment," December 15, 2025. Link
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Tobago Updates: Interview on Global Fulbright Research and the "One World, One Voice" project. Link
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WLRN / WUSF: "LGBTQ Youth Learn About Using The Law To Create Equity," July 2017. Link
Op-Eds & Articles
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Miami Herald: "Your freedom, your future: Why civic literacy belongs in childhood," 2025. Link
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Miami Herald: "Kids have First Amendment rights, too. Encourage them to use them and speak up!", September 2023. Link
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Reverb.com: “The LUCK Acronym: A New Look at Distance Learning,” August 2020. Link
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Education Week: "Opinion: Why I Showed My Young Children the Video of George Floyd’s Death," July 2, 2020. Link
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Today.com: “Study up: 10 things teachers wish parents knew about testing,” July 2020. Link
Magazines & Editorial Work
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Know Your Rights: A Little Lawyers Magazine. Editor, 2017–2020.
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Specialized Issues: Sept-Oct 2018 (Anti-Bullying). Link
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Oct-Nov 2018 (Voting Month Focus). Link