FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT Justin Silverman | 774.244.2365 | justin@nefac.org
The New England First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce two law school fellows and an undergraduate intern who will be helping the organization throughout the summer. Edward Samuels and Lucas Uhl are both rising second-year students at Boston College Law School. Katherine Hapgood is a rising senior journalism student at Boston University.
“We’re very excited to have Edward, Lucas and Katherine joining our team,” said Justin Silverman, NEFAC’s executive director. “They are exceptional students with a passion for First Amendment advocacy. We’re looking forward to a very productive summer.
The fellowships and internship are supported by the Boston College Public Interest Law Foundation and the Boston University Yawkey Nonprofit Internship Program.
Katherine Hapgood is a rising senior at Boston University studying journalism and chemistry, earning a spot on the Dean’s List the past several semesters, and is an aspiring First Amendment attorney. She spent the majority of her undergraduate career writing for outlets like the Alexandria Times (Va.), the Boston Globe, MetroWest Daily News (Mass.), and Milford Daily News (Mass.). The majority of her stories involve some level of investigation into government processes. Hapgood previously worked as a Page in the Iowa Senate and as a Press Intern with U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, where she spent a large portion of her time sitting in on federal trials. Hapgood is also involved in several student organizations. She has held leadership positions on Women in Law, Student Government, Resident Hall Council, and Running Club, and has been the Editor of the New England section of Boston University’s radio station, WTBU News, for the past two years.
Eddie Samuels is a native of Atlanta. He attended Tufts University where he was managing editor of the Tufts Daily. During his time as editor, the paper was threatened with a defamation lawsuit for publishing an op-ed critical of former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci. That experience demonstrated first hand the vital role of First Amendment rights and organizations that safeguard them. After graduating, Samuels worked in journalism, writing for several publications, both in Massachusetts and Atlanta. He just finished his first year at Boston College Law School.
Lucas Uhl is a rising second-year student at Boston College Law School. He has a passion for journalism and media law. In 2020, he graduated from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a major in Television, Radio, and Film. Throughout his time at SU, he was a member of the student-run television studio, CitrusTV. As a student at Boston College Law School, he is a writer for the Intellectual Property & Technology Forum and a member of the Sports & Entertainment Law Society. Outside of law school, Uhl enjoys spending time outdoors golfing and skiing in his home state of Maine.
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, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, The Boston Globe, Paul and Ann Sagan, and the Robertson Foundation. Major Supporters include Boston University, the Academy of New England Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation, Genie Gannett for the First Amendment Museum, Linda Pizzuti Henry, Connecticut Public and GBH-Boston.