Reporters Committee welcomes new legal and support staff

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is thrilled to welcome seven new hires, including a staff attorney, four legal fellows, a policy analyst, and a digital expert — additions that will expand the organization’s capacity to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists. 

Meet the new team members:

• Ellen Goodrich is our new Jack Nelson-Dow Jones Foundation Legal Fellow, focusing on expanding journalists’ access to public records and meetings at the state and federal level. Goodrich joined the Reporters Committee following a fellowship at the Student Press Law Center, where she assisted high school and college journalists. As a student at Duke University School of Law, she was a member of the law school’s First Amendment Clinic.

• Renee Griffin, our newest staff attorney, oversees the Reporters Committee’s free Legal Hotline and facilitates rapid response to legal issues faced by journalists and news outlets. Before joining the Reporters Committee, Griffin was an associate at Williams & Connolly LLP and clerked for Judge David M. Ebel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

• Sara Grace Kennedy returns to the Reporters Committee as our new policy analyst. A former intern, Kennedy is now helping Policy Director Gabe Rottman conduct outreach to newsrooms and police departments in connection with the protection of journalists covering mass protest activity, among other responsibilities. Kennedy recently graduated from the University of Virginia, where she worked as a research assistant for UVA’s Applied Public Policy and Leadership Experiments Lab.

• Matt Singer, our new media law fellow, focuses on First Amendment issues, primarily involving libel, invasion of privacy, and protection of confidential sources and materials. While attending the New York University School of Law, Singer interned at WNET – New York Public Radio, where he worked with journalists on public records matters. Most recently, he was an associate at Winston & Strawn LLP, where he focused on media and libel litigation.

• Abigail Sintim, our new NBCUniversal News Group Race Equity in Journalism Legal Fellow, focuses on addressing the legal needs of journalists of color, newsrooms led by people of color, and reporters covering issues pertinent to people of color. Sintim, who graduated from Fordham University School of Law and participated in its Federal Litigation Clinic, most recently worked at a brokerage firm handling employment and federal regulatory matters.

• Brooke Smith, our new deputy director of Salesforce and information systems, leverages her deep experience in database management, web design, digital communications, and user-centered design to streamline organizational systems, enhance user experiences, and build meaningful connections with audiences. She joins the Reporters Committee after 15 years at PFLAG, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people.

• Allyson Veile, our new media litigation fellow, handles a variety of First Amendment and media law cases, with a focus on assisting with access to courts and freedom of information litigation brought on behalf of the Reporters Committee, journalists, and news organizations. Veile joins the Reporters Committee after completing two years as a legal fellow in the University of Georgia School of Law’s First Amendment Clinic, where she helped litigate a variety of civil rights and media law matters. A graduate of Duke University School of Law, Veile also previously worked as an associate at Ballard Spahr LLP.

Note: This post was updated to include information on Brooke Smith.

The Reporters Committee regularly files friend-of-the-court briefs and its attorneys represent journalists and news organizations pro bono in court cases that involve First Amendment freedoms, the newsgathering rights of journalists and access to public information. Stay up-to-date on our work by signing up for our newsletters and following us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.