The Student Press Law Center is excited to welcome three new full-time staff members: the organization’s first assistant director, Josh Moore; staff attorney, Jonathan Gaston-Falk; and communications fellow, Devin Yingling.
These additions mark the largest full-time staff in the organization’s history as SPLC bolsters its mission to support, promote and defend the First Amendment rights of student journalists and their advisers across the country.
“We are thrilled to welcome Josh, Devin and Jonathan to SPLC as we expand our team and work hard to support student journalists,” said Hadar Harris, executive director of SPLC. “Josh brings an array of experience with him in both law and journalism and he will help move SPLC to our next level of impact and effectiveness. As a veteran education lawyer, Jonathan will be instrumental in bolstering both the expertise on our legal hotline and our New Voices implementation strategies. Devin will help us tell the story of student journalists and ensure that all of SPLC’s good work is recognized. We are not only lucky to have Josh, Jonathan and Devin on board, but we are fortunate to expand our staff at a moment that SPLC’s services are so sorely needed.”
Josh Moore, Assistant Director
As SPLC’s first assistant director, Moore will help advance a range of operational and strategic priorities for the organization. These priorities include implementing and measuring progress toward SPLC’s new, two-year strategic plan; developing and supporting strong cross-organizational structures and practices; and streamlining internal operations.
Moore began his work with SPLC in 2010 as a reporting intern and returned in 2015 as a legal intern. Moore rejoined the SPLC team in August 2022 after five years with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press — a nonprofit offering pro bono legal representation and other legal resources to journalists across the country — where he served most recently as the strategic initiatives manager. During his time at the Reporters Committee, Moore helped launch and manage several new programs, oversaw the organization’s data efforts and worked with journalists as an attorney.
Prior to law school, Moore was the copy desk chief for a newspaper company’s combined copy desk, helping oversee a staff that produced 13 daily newspapers. He was a student journalist in both high school and college, including serving as editor-in-chief for the College Heights Herald at Western Kentucky University, where he earned his B.A. in journalism.
Moore earned his J.D. in 2017 from American University Washington College of Law, where he was assistant managing editor of the American University Law Review and interned for NPR and the Maryland Court of Appeals.
Jonathan Gaston-Falk, Staff Attorney
As a staff attorney for SPLC, Gaston-Falk will work closely with both the legal team and the New Voices team to strengthen multiple key initiatives. He will support and train student journalists and advisers through the organization’s legal hotline and SPLC in the Classroom. He will also help shape the implementation of New Voices laws — strengthening SPLC’s efforts to ensure school districts adhere to these crucial student press freedom protection laws.
Gaston-Falk joined SPLC in March 2022 after serving as program director for the Education Law Unit with the Legal Aid Society of Rochester, New York, for five years. During his time at Legal Aid, Gaston-Falk advocated for the free speech rights of students before numerous boards of education and the Commissioner of Education in Albany, and represented students in due process and special education matters.
Prior to his work with Legal Aid, Gaston-Falk represented a variety of clients in federal and state courts throughout Western New York, including school districts, insurance companies and those in the banking industry. His work with his clients ranged across multiple areas of law, including education, labor and unemployment, tax, contract, medical malpractice, bankruptcies and collections.
Gaston-Falk earned his B.A. in History, French language and literature from the University of Virginia, and both his Master’s of Urban Planning and J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2012.
Devin Yingling, Communications Fellow
As SPLC’s communications fellow, Yingling will work closely with the communications team to uplift the voices of student journalists and ensure SPLC’s resources are accessible to them and their advisers.
Yingling first began her work with SPLC in early 2022 as the organization’s first Storytelling Intern. After earning her B.A. in political science from St. Joseph’s University in June, Yingling rejoined the SPLC staff full-time.
Throughout her four years as an undergraduate, Yingling was a writing tutor and worked for The Student Hawk Newspaper, including serving as the editor-in-chief during her senior year. Yingling spent a month living in South Africa following graduation, reporting on stories for her student newspaper pertaining to issues of social justice.
The Student Press Law Center is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit working at the intersection of law, journalism and education to support, promote and defend the rights of student journalists and their advisers at the high school and college levels. Based in Washington, D.C., the Student Press Law Center provides information, training and legal assistance at no charge to student journalists and the educators who work with them.