FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
The New England First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce one law school fellow and two undergraduate interns who will be supporting the organization throughout the summer:
• Brett Johnson, a rising third-year student at the University of Iowa College of Law who is also a professor in the university’s journalism school.
• Meredith Veilleux, a rising senior who is studying journalism at the University of Connecticut.
• Naomi Scully-Bristol, a rising junior at Smith College who is news editor of The Sophian, the campus newspaper.
“We’re very excited to have Brett, Meredith and Naomi joining us this summer,” said Justin Silverman, NEFAC’s executive director. “They are exceptional students with a passion for journalism and the First Amendment. They will be helping our coalition in many ways.”
LEGAL FELLOW
Brett Johnson is a rising 3L at the University of Iowa College of Law. Johnson is also a part-time Visiting Associate Professor at the UI School of Journalism, where he teaches courses in media law and media ethics. He began attending UI after teaching at the University of Missouri School of Journalism from 2015 to 2022. Johnson received his MA in Journalism from UI in 2011, and his PhD in Mass Communication from the University of Minnesota in 2015. After graduating, Johnson hopes to offer clinical, pro bono legal services to Iowa journalists while continuing to teach and conduct research in the field of media law.
FIRST AMENDMENT INTERNS
Meredith Veilleux is a senior studying Journalism and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Connecticut. She recently studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh. Veilleux has published work in the New London Day and the Daily Campus. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, cooking, and reading. She is hoping to pursue law school in the future.
Naomi Scully-Bristol is a rising junior at Smith College majoring in government and French with a concentration in journalism. She is the news editor for The Sophian, and has previously written for the Fairfax Times. She is interested in law and journalism.
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
Leadership Circle donors include the Rhode Island Foundation, The Boston Globe, Paul and Ann Sagan, and the Robertson Foundation. Major Supporters include Boston University, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, the Academy of New England Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation, Genie Gannett for the First Amendment Museum, Linda Pizzuti Henry, the Champa Charitable Foundation Fund and Connecticut Public.