AUTHOR BIO

Allison Matulli, J.D., M.Ed. is a former attorney and certified Montessori lead educator who believes that knowing one’s rights and respecting those of others is the path to creating conscious citizens and community— starting with our kids.

A DEI specialist and education reform activist, Allison consults with schools worldwide on how to provide families, educators and students with tools and understanding to address issues of race, systematic racism, prejudice, legal literacy, diversity and inclusion. As Founder of The Little Lawyers, she also runs an organization that provides curriculum and workshops to empower children to understand their rights and responsibilities. Additionally, Allison is a Criminal Justice professor at Florida International University, one of the nation’s 10 biggest public universities. She has been featured as a keynote speaker in various events including roundtables sponsored by the New York Times and has been a contributing writer to Education Week and more.

Allison is the author of Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment (Running Press Kids, Fall 2023), which is receiving strong reviews, including a starred review from Booklist. She is also the author of I Am Because We Are and another picture book, forthcoming from Disney.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Allison’s lifelong quest to connect with and understand others has led her to visit over 30 countries; live in several nations including Italy, Argentina, and England; and speak fluent Italian! She has just received a Fulbright Global Scholar Award for 2023-2025; with it, she will study and write about how children experience freedom of speech in various countries around the world.

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

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PRAISE FOR ALLISON MATULLI’S WRITING

"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."
“An ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to middle school and community library Political Science collections for young readers.”
"Current, insightful, and savvy."
"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."

OUR LATEST BLOG

Education is at the frontier of a legal evolution

But do teachers know about the historic changes in students’ first amendment rights?

When I first walked into my classroom many years ago, I was not confronted with the same level of First Amendment issues faced by teachers today. In the age of technology meets the age of COVID-19, there is a silently brewing storm. Hence, the upcoming school year will be littered with historic firsts on how administrators, teachers, students and parents battle over how kids exercise their fundamental right to free speech. Before COVID, principals were already suspending students for things they did or said on social media. Teachers were already being asked by parents to supervise student-to-student online interaction. Parents were already reporting cyberbullying on an alarmingly explosive scale. READ FULL BLOG . . .

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@allisonmatulli

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