SJMC students traveled to Washington, D.C. over spring break to engage in a professional practice experience with alumni, attorneys and professional journalists. 

The experience was first offered in March of 2024 and has since been offered on a biennial basis, according to Associate Professor Brett Johnson, who organized and oversaw the trip. 

This opportunity—formally known as the SJMC Media Law Experience—is a 1-credit hour course (JMC:2400) that fulfills the SCRIPT requirement for all majors. This course is particularly suited for individuals interested in attending law school or pursuing a career in "hard news" journalism after college. 

This experience was made possible thanks to a generous support from SJMC alum John Kamp. Students were greeted by Kamp at an opening reception at the National Press Club. 

“In his words, he said he started the fund because he wants more Midwesterners (like himself) in D.C.,” Johnson said. 

Early in the trip, the students got the chance to meet with a group of attorneys from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Among these attorneys was Bob Corn-Revere: The lead litigator in Trump v. Selzer.  

“A lot of the students on the trip…had goals of going to law school, and so being able to see attorneys in action was really cool,” Johnson said. 

Along with Corn-Revere, students visited The New York Times’ D.C. Bureau. Here, they spoke with Adam Liptak, who has reported on the Supreme Court and legal affairs. They also met with Ruth Igielnik—data polls reporter—and a Times lawyer who is working on a case related to the Pentagon’s latest restrictions of the press. 

“This lawyer was talking to us about that case, and the very next day, the court that was hearing the case—it was a lower D.C. court—sided with the papers,” Johnson said. 

Amongst numerous other media and law professionals, the students also got to meet with a Slate reporter and Konstantin Toropin, the Associated Press’ Pentagon reporter. Allisa Pandit—a senior majoring in JMC and business analytics, said her interaction with Toropin was particularly memorable. 

“...just the way that he spoke about his career and the interest and passion behind him was very significant,” she said. “Once again, I think passion is something that can be transferred to any career you go into, so I think it was very inspiring to see him talk about his profession like that.” 

Prior to the trip D.C., the student attendees were assigned pre-travel readings to help prepare them for the observations and discussions they would have. After the trip, students reflected and analyzed the things they learned as part of a final project.

Anna Mitchell, a junior studying JMC and political science, crafted a press release for her final project. This release, which was written from the perspective of a journalist and First Amendment advocate, addressed the importance of freedom of thought as well as transparency in reporting. She also offered tangible solutions for further protecting freedom of the press. 

“Transparency in government is important, no matter who you’re reporting on,” Mitchell said. 

Building on this overall idea of the importance of freedom of thought, Pandit said this trip reinforced her love of writing and appreciation for the First Amendment, which allows her to teach others about the things she is passionate about. 

“I think it’s just an amazing cycle, and the First Amendment really stands for exactly that,” she said. 

Aside from the professional and academic side of this trip, both Mitchell and Pandit reported gaining other memorable experiences; some of which were a pleasant surprise. 

“We did a ghost tour that Professor Johnson planned,” Mitchell said. “We walked around with this tour guide, and he gave us a bunch of ghost stories from Georgetown. Obviously, it’s one of the most historical neighborhoods in the country, maybe the most, and so it was cool.” 

Along with touring some of the most historical parts of the city, Mitchell also noted having the opportunity to visit the National Archives, where she got to view the original Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. She also briefly visited the Supreme Court chamber. 

Looking back on her experience, Pandit noted that she formed both professional and personal connections on the trip. 

“...it was really awesome to see that by the last few days, we had all become friends and knew a bit more about each other,” she said. 

Pandit noted that although classroom instruction is crucial in preparing students for their careers outside of college, hands-on experience is key in helping students to stand out competitively and to grow as people. 

“I’m a firm believer that experiential learning is the best way to learn anything,” she said. “...to have a generous donor who is willing to pay for x amount of students to go on this trip is amazing, and the fact that Professor Johnson puts in the time to build these connections and connect us with them is such a valuable resource.” 

In Johnson’s view, this trip not only gives students the opportunity to network, but it also shows them how an abstract work aspiration or passion can turn into a concrete career path. 

“For students to see that you can create a career built on this amazing pantheon of cases and this amazing canon that we have…I think that’s the real value to a program like this,” he said. 

Wrapping up her thoughts, Mitchell emphasized the importance of journalism to a free democracy and transparent government once more. 

“This trip really made me see how important journalism is to the function of a nation,” she said. 

SJMC’s next trip to D.C. will be held in March of 2028. Johnson encourages students to reach out to him at brett-g-johnson@uiowa.edu with any questions, whether it be about the trip, law school, or getting into contact with alumni.  

In May 2027, Johnson will also be running a three-week study abroad program in Ireland. He encourages any student interested in comparative media law, freedom of the press, data privacy, and/or AI regulation to look into this experience and reach out with any questions.