Our Team
The bedrock of a holistic defender office is an interdisciplinary team of passionate advocates zealously fighting by her side, committed to advocating for each client's most pressing legal and social support needs. Meet the team:
Kira Benton
Kira received her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was awarded the Damali K. Booker Award for legal activism. During law school, Kira served as the President and the Pro Bono Chair of the Vanderbilt Legal Aid Society and was a member of the Mock Trial Team. She participated in the Youth Opportunity Clinic and the Worker Advocacy Practicum and interned with Still She Rises, Tulsa and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Monitor.
Kira holds B.A.s in Anthropology and Economics with a minor in Community Engaged Emergency Management from the University of South Florida. Her thesis focused on the development of institutional resources in Tampa to support disabled applicants for naturalization seeking waiver of testing requirements. She is from Jacksonville, Florida.
Sjanee Billups
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Sjanee is currently attending NSU to obtain her Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies. Prior to joining Still She Rises, Sjanee worked for the Tulsa County’s DA office as a Legal Assistant and Supervisor. In addition to her academic pursuits, she is currently enlisted in the Oklahoma National Guard where she graduated from BCT and AIT in 2020.
Sjanee’s mission is to help others and make a positive impact on the lives of those less fortunate. Every morning she wakes up and every night before falling asleep, she is thinking about the safety and well-being of others. Sjanee strongly believes that there should be more resources available to help alleviate the suffering caused by poverty and remains dedicated to working towards that goal. Sjanee’s end goal is to become a philanthropist and make meaningful differences in the lives of individuals and communities in need.
Taylor Carter
Taylor was a double major at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. She went on to receive 2 Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice. Taylor then proceeded to get her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. While residing in Tahlequah, she volunteered at Help In Crisis doing various roles: on-call, volunteering at the shelter, participating in charity events held “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes”, etc. Taylor also served on Tahlequah Main Street Association.
During her time in college, Taylor started as an intern for a public defender in Tahlequah and eventually became the paralegal for the attorney, Angela Jones. Taylor then proceeded to work at Legal Aid Services as a paralegal. Once she and her husband moved to Tulsa in 2019, she was a paralegal for insurance defense before getting back into criminal/family law. Taylor also has experience working for public defense through the federal courts.
Taylor has a strong passion for defending those who cannot defend themselves, can’t be their own voice and correcting the judicial system. In her spare time, she loves attending various concerts with her husband, hanging with their dogs, hiking, playing disc golf, playing basketball, reading, working on house projects, watching hockey and football, and binge-watching true crime documentaries.
Alex Conlon
Alex received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa College of Law, with an emphasis in Oil, Gas, and Natural Resource Law in 2015. Prior to joining the Still She Rises team, he practiced Estate Planning and Family Law for seven years, and worked as a Mail Carrier for the United States Postal Service. He received Bachelor Degrees from Missouri Southern State University in Psychology and Theology. Alex is passionate about the need for access to legal representation for North Tulsa mothers, and aims to provide empathetic advocacy for his clients.
In his free time, Alex enjoys reading, spending time with his family, and collecting sneakers.
NANCY COPPOLA RENBERG
Nancy received her J.D. at the University of Tulsa College of Law. During law school she worked for Diversion Services as a case manager, Domestic Violence Intervention Services as an Advocate at their Women's Shelter, and interned at the Tulsa County Public Defender's Office. Prior to joining the Still She Rises Team she was in private practice for 19 years focusing primarily on Family and Criminal Law. She received her B.A. from the University of Florida where she majored in Sociology and minored in Women's Studies.
Quinn Fields
Quinn graduated from the University of Tulsa College of Law, where he received the Order of the Curule Chair. During his time in law school, he took part in the Terry West Civil Legal Clinic and the inaugural semester of the Buck Colbert Franklin Legal Clinic. He completed legal internships with Still She Rises and ArchCity Defenders.
Prior to law school, Quinn worked in social services for public housing agencies in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Quinn holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Christian University. He also completed an M.A. in Gerontology from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Quinn was born and raised in Tulsa, and has remained firmly rooted in Oklahoma. He is passionate about providing innovative advocacy for Tulsans facing complex challenges.
Bryna Frohock
Bryna was born and raised in Tulsa; she first got involved with her community in the Youth Services of Tulsa, volunteering and taking classes when she was young. She is a proud result of North Tulsa public schools, and attended college at Pacific Lutheran University where she earned degrees in Political Science and Communication. She was active in the Tacoma Mutual Aid Collective, and developed a firm passion for justice and decarceration. She previously worked for United Way’s 211 service, providing community resource information and referrals to her Washington community.
Jordan Gayle
Jordan, a Tulsa native, graduated from Morehouse College in 2018, earning a degree in Psychology. While at Morehouse, Jordan conducted scientific research both on campus and at the Georgia Institute of Technology, for which he has published work. Jordan began as a program fellow at the George Kaiser Family Foundation and prior to joining the Still She Rises team, interned at the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST) initiative, a program focused on providing a seamless continuum of care and services for underserved families and their young children.
Josie George
Josie is a native of Oklahoma, born and raised in Claremore where she attended Rogers State University and helped manage her family’s business. She moved to Tulsa in 2007 where she worked as an administrative professional for two local businesses and most recently with a Fortune 500 company providing administrative and payroll support. Led by a strong passion for social justice and women’s rights, she joined Still She Rises in May 2022 as an Executive Assistant. She is excited to be here and looks forward to utilizing over 15 years of administrative experience to assist in furthering their mission.
April Gore
April graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and received her B.A. in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Sociology from Fordham University. She wrote her thesis on the criminalization of pregnancy in Oklahoma and most recently interned with the Women’s Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Conditions of Confinement Program at the Center for Appellate Litigation, and the National Advocates for Pregnant Women.
April organizes in the Japanese American community with Tsuru for Solidarity. She enjoys reading, cooking, and being outdoors with her dog.
Deon Griggs
Deon Griggs is a North Tulsa native with African American and Filipino heritage. These ties have led him to years in the service industry getting to know different communities. During that time he also worked with the Metcares foundation as a PCAT fellow focusing on grassroots community organizing.
Stephanie Heck
Stephanie Heck is a proud Okie, with deep roots in her community and a background in community mental health, crisis response, public libraries, higher education, and community and civic engagement. She is the Client Advocacy Supervisor in the criminal practice at Still She Rises Tulsa. Before becoming the Client Advocacy Supervisor, Stephanie was a client advocate at Still She Rises. In this role, she helped build out and define the role of client advocates in the office and in the community, working with legal teams on a full range of cases, including criminal, civil, and family matters from inception to trial. Stephanie is a member of the NLADA National Alliance of Sentencing Advocates and Mitigation Specialists, and uses her training in advocacy and mitigation to engage with system players in pre-and post-dispositional advocacy to improve client outcomes in all cases - from navigating clients through specialty courts to developing creative probation plans individualized to client needs, to crafting pretrial mitigation strategies. Stephanie is passionate about shining a light on the diffuse web of legal and adjacent systems harming clients and impeding their goals and lives.
Hayley Horowitz
Hayley received her law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was Editor in Chief of the Harvard Law and Policy Review. Before law school, Hayley received a master’s degree in politics from the University of Oxford and a BA from Williams College, where she graduated magna cum laude. Before joining Still She Rises, Hayley was an associate at civil rights firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP, where she represented clients in complex civil litigation matters and numerous class actions, including challenges to police and prosecutorial misconduct, prison abuse, wrongful conviction, employment and housing discrimination, and consumer protection violations. Before that, Hayley was an attorney with the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project, where she worked through litigation and advocacy to reform excessively harsh and ineffective criminal justice practices nationwide. Previously, Hayley clerked for the Honorable John Gleeson of the Eastern District of New York and the Honorable Gerard Lynch of the Second Circuit, and was an associate at Jenner & Block LLP.
Admitted to practice in OK & NY
Rosa Hernandez Jimenez
Rosa (They/She) was raised in Tulsa, OK. Having spent the majority of her life in Tulsa, Rosa grew a passion for community organizing and social justice. In 2016 she began her advocacy journey with local immigrant led organization DREAM Act Oklahoma - Tulsa (now Dream Action Oklahoma). In 2018 Rosa received the Dan Allen Center for Social Justice’s Local Champion Award and in 2019 received DREAM Action OK’s Unafraid and Unashamed Award.
Rosa spends most of her time outside the office contributing to local mutual aid efforts, playing with her cats, reading and cross stitching.
Harraah Howard
Harraah Howard received both of her Master’s degrees from the University of Illinois, one in Immigration: The Naturalization and Citizenship Process, and the other in Legal Studies. Previously, Harraah worked for a nonprofit organization in Illinois, as an administrative assistant and a community outreach coordinator. She also has experience working as a liaison for international students on and off campus while advocating for immigrant rights. In her free time, Harraah plans to further her education and pursue opportunities in Immigration and Law to advocate for people’s rights.
Phoebe Kasdin
Phoebe received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where she was a student in the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. At UCLA, she was a Managing Editor of UCLA Law Review and Co-Chief of Production of the Criminal Justice Law Review. During law school, Phoebe participated in both the Youth & Justice Clinic and the Criminal Defense Clinic. She spent her 1L summer as a judicial extern to the Honorable Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit, her 2L summer as an intern with the California Appellate Project, and her 3L fall semester as a law clerk with the ACLU National Prison Project. Prior to law school, Phoebe spent one year as an Americorps Member at an elementary school and worked for two nonprofit legal services organizations. She holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Erin Laine
Erin graduated from University of Tulsa College of Law with honor. During her time in law school, Erin served as an Articles Editor for Tulsa Law Review. Throughout law school, she represented clients before the Pardon and Parole Board with Project Commutation at Tulsa Public Defender, assisted clients with drivers’ license reinstatement at the Texas Fair Defense Project, and participated in the TU Immigrant Rights Project Clinic. Following her law school graduation, Erin worked at Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma defending tenants from eviction in Tulsa’s two most highly evicted zip codes.
Erin holds a B.A. in English from Austin College. She is originally from Houston, Texas but has made Tulsa her home.
Erin aims to make every client feel heard as they navigate complex systems together. She believes that every person deserves strong legal advocacy regardless of financial status. In her free time, she enjoys karaoke, long walks, and spending time with her friends and pets.
Crystal Lopez
Crystal started her journey when she made the choice to go back to school to receive her GED. Having completed her first mission, Crystal realized that she wanted to go further along. She enrolled at Rogers State University, earning a degree in Criminal Justice.
Crystal is passionate about being a voice for the Hispanic community, specifically to those individuals who have a language barrier. Her mission in life is to be able to truly make a difference in someone’s life. She has learned that while she might not be able to change the world, she knows that she can change an individual’s life, and by doing that, feels she has fulfilled her purpose in her career life. Crystal’s mantra is “Do not let your past, background, or upbringing define you. Always follow your dreams! If you have setbacks for whatever the reason, do not let that stop you from accomplishing your goals and dreams. YOU are worth it, and If I can do it, so can you
Crystal enjoys spending time in her own little backyard farm. With four goats: Bambi, Woody, Panda, and Boots, over 30 chickens (too many to name!) two ducks, Drake and Rhianna; who follow each other all day long, and her dogs- Daisy, Foxy, and Zeus.
Kelley Maricle
Kelley is a lifelong Tulsan who comes to Still She Rises with 20 years of experience working in social services in the Tulsa area. She has been recognized several times over the years for her work in the community; however, she is most proud that both of her adult daughters have chosen to follow in her footsteps and work in social and community services in the Tulsa area. Kelley ran a successful transitional housing program at the Salvation Army for 13 years, helping families navigate the complex systems necessary for them to become self-sufficient. Kelley is excited to join Still She Rises as a client advocate after being impressed with watching the way SSR supports clients over the years.
Victoria Mayhall
Victoria received her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School. During law school, she interned with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, the Federal Public Defender of Middle Tennessee, and the Nashville Defenders. She also served as Co-Executive Director of the Vanderbilt Legal Aid Society. Victoria received her undergraduate education at Oklahoma City University.
Victoria grew up in southeastern Oklahoma, and is excited to be back in her home state.
Kenda McIntosh
Kenda Received her J.D. from New England Law-Boston.
Before joining Still She Rises, Kenda worked as an Assistant Public Defender at the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office, where she represented clients on everything from misdemeanors and juvenile delinquent matters to general felony and capital cases. Prior to that she worked as an immigrant rights fellow at the International Institute of the Bay Area and as a Pro-bono attorney with the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco, where she assisted undocumented people with various immigration matters and obtained Asylum for three families facing death in their home countries. Kenda is an experienced trial attorney, and is committed to fighting tirelessly for every single client.
Shiva Musapeta
Born and raised in Tulsa. Shiva attended the University of Oklahoma and received a B.A. in MDS with an emphasis in Economics. In his time at OU, Shiva was a member of the OU Policy Debate team and also a Server at Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails. Additionally, Shiva interned and worked full time at Northwestern Mutual in Financial Planning prior to joining the SSR Team.
Abigail Pink
Before joining Still She Rises, Abi was a Deputy Public Defender in Colorado Springs where she handled a variety of criminal matters including juvenile delinquency as well as adult felony and misdemeanor cases. As a PD, Abi was able to take multiple cases to trial while also prioritizing her clients’ voices through creative litigation and negotiation. Abi graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2018. At HLS, Abi was the Executive Director of Harvard Defenders and an Articles Editor for the Journal on Racial and Ethnic Justice (now the BlackLetter Law Journal). Abi is very excited to return to Tulsa where she previously taught second-grade at William Penn Elementary as a part of Teach for America – Greater Tulsa. Abi first gained a deep appreciation for the unique challenges facing women in the criminal legal system as an intern at the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women in college at Case Western Reserve University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dogs Callie and Rosie and thinking of ways to undermine the patriarchy.
Margaret Reynolds
Margaret Reynolds was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. She moved to Tulsa in August 1999 with her 3 children after graduating from Southern University Shreveport-Bossier, where she earned an Associate Degree in Paralegalism. Margaret has 4 grandchildren (2 girls / 2 boys) and 3 step grandchildren.
Before coming aboard with Still She Rises, she worked at the Tulsa County Court Clerk's Office for fifteen years as a minute clerk. Margaret spends a lot of time outside of the office, preparing meals and serving those in need around the Tulsa area. She just completed Ministry in Training classes and is praying to be able to serve people throughout Oklahoma by finding solutions that affect their opportunities while living here on a day to day basis.
Joslyn Rouse
Joslyn Rouse was born in Long Beach, California and raised in Hanau, Germany. She attended the Community College of Denver before coming to Tulsa in 1995. She was the first graduate of Women in Recovery. Prior to Still She Rises, she worked for seven years at Hudson Villas (an extension of the Tulsa Day Center) as the office manager. Joslyn's personal philosophy is that your past doesn't have to define your future.
Kristina Saleh
Prior to joining Still She Rises, Tulsa, Kristina was a criminal defense attorney at The Bronx Defenders. Kristina graduated from The University of Michigan Law School, where she was a Dean's Public Service Fellow. During law school, Kristina participated in the Criminal Appellate Clinic and the Michigan Innocence Clinic. Kristina’s legal internships were with the California Appellate Project and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Kristina also holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and interned at the Bronx Defenders and the Center for Forensic Psychiatry as a social worker. Prior to law school, Kristina spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand.
Jane-Roberte Sampeur
Jane is a career public defender motivated by a deep sense of commitment and passion for fighting for the freedom and dignity of marginalized communities that have been devastated by systemic oppression. Prior to joining Still She Rises, Jane served as the Coordinator and Staff Attorney of the Women's Pretrial Release Initiative at the Legal Aid Society (LAS) in New York City, where she developed and led a project designed to advocate for the release of women detained pretrial. Her prior experience at LAS also included defending individuals in parole revocation proceedings on Rikers Island and those accused of felonies and misdemeanors in criminal court. Through her trainings, policy work and service on state and city committees, she has been an active voice for reform and transformation within the criminal legal system. In 2022, The Legal Aid Society honored her with the Orison S. Marden Award in recognition of her excellence in practice and contributions to the organization.
In addition to her practice, Jane is passionate about educating the next generation of advocates and leaders. She previously served as the Program Director for the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program at Cardozo School of Law and has guest lectured at universities throughout the country. Jane is a 2009 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Darla Sedgwick
Darla brings more than 29 years of litigation experience to assist clients facing felony criminal charges. Darla is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Darla was awarded a membership into the Order of the Barristers, an honor society that limits membership to attorneys who demonstrate exceptional skills in trial advocacy, oral advocacy, and brief writing. While in law school, she was awarded the distinction of being named the “Best Speaker” in the law school class.
Darla started her career as a New Hampshire Public Defender, and has extensive experience in the courtroom advocating zealously for her clients. Due to her experience trying complex cases in both New Hampshire and Oklahoma, Darla understands and appreciates how difficult and traumatic it can be to face criminal charges. She has represented clients accused of misdemeanors and felonies of all varieties, including homicide, sex crimes, white collar crime, drug crimes and aggravated assaults. Through intense pretrial litigation and investigation, Darla has saved many clients from wrongful convictions and unfair sentences.
Julie Shelton
This is Julie’s first experience working in the criminal justice field and she couldn’t be more excited about it. Julie worked in Marketing, Graphic Design, and Photography for nearly twenty years before deciding to fulfill her passion in forensic science and criminal justice. She completed her Masters Degree in Forensic Psychology in 2018, and in January of 2020, began the Forensic Science Doctoral Program at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences. Julie’s mission is to be an ally and advocate for the underprivileged, but specifically victims of sexual assault.
Julie has a four-year-old daughter, who is assertive, outgoing, and fearless. She keeps Julie curious, as we continue to find creative ways to learn about the world around us. Julie also enjoys photography, reading, and hiking.
Tevin Talton
Tevin graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma where he played Division I College Football, trained as a hibachi chef, and began his IT journey. He received his BSBA in Management Information Systems with a focus in Information Assurance. Tevin has worked in the IT industry for 8 years, working in the Education, Finance, and Logistics industries. He is specialized primarily in Support and IT Analysis.
Tevin is a huge gamer who likes to build his own PCs and loves watching Football and Basketball.
Emily Turner
Emily received her J.D. at the University of Tulsa, College of Law, and graduated from Northeastern State University with her B.A. in Psychology.
At TU, Emily served as President of Women’s Law Caucus and Vice-President of If/When/How. Before and during law school, Emily interned at the Tulsa County Public Defenders Office, which is where she found her calling in defense work. During her third year of law school, Emily was the Supervising Team Lead for clients with Failure to Protect convictions during Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform’s Commutation Project.
Emily began her practice of law in 2020 by opening her own firm where she represented mostly women in custody matters. She then returned to the PD as a Child’s Attorney in the Juvenile department before coming to Still She Rises.
Outside of work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family, listening to podcasts, putting various things together, and traveling the world.
LaNitria Turner
LaNitria began working for the Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel in Jackson, Mississippi in 2011. Prior to that she was a member of the U.S. Navy. LaNitria has dedicated much of her career to public service, mainly in assisting in the representation of the men sentenced to death in the state of Mississippi. She has experience working for criminal defense attorneys in private practice and has also worked for the State of Hawaii Attorney General's Office. LaNitria is currently completing her Bachelor's in Legal Science.
Martina Williams
Martina was born and raised in Tulsa where she was a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School. She received her associate degree in paralegal studies from Tulsa Community College and her Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and minor in Business Administration.
Martina gained experience in the legal industry while working as a legal assistant for various firms in Tulsa. Prior to that, she worked in an administrative capacity in the healthcare industry.
Martina enjoys dancing, practicing wellness and crime shows. She is always eager to learn new things and loves spending time with her family, including her two children.
Martina is excited to be a part of the Still She Rises team where she can make a difference in the lives of Tulsa citizens by supporting, providing resources and advocating for our clients.
Lauren Wilson
Lauren is a Tulsa area native; growing up, going to school, and building 2 successful businesses here. She comes from a large family and is a twin, so she has never not been part of a team. She spent 20 years as a Master Hair Stylist and Color Correction Specialist. Lauren launched, and later sold, a delivery service, serving individuals as well as local businesses. She was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2011 TCC Entrepreneurial Launch Start Up Cup.
Lauren completed her paralegal and legal investigation studies at OSU. She spent 7 years on the Board of Directors of the Roe Fund with 2 years as Vice President; educating and advocating for reproductive justice and facilitating funding for low- and no-income Oklahoma women in need of reproductive services. She’s also spent time volunteering with Make A Wish and Iron Gate.
Lauren holds a fundamental belief in the inherent worth, dignity, and autonomy of every individual, and that we are all accountable to one another. She feels best about herself when she is in the service of others, especially women. One thing she knows to be true is that when you invest in women, they in turn invest in everyone else. By lifting up women, you lift up everyone around them.
In her downtime, she loves spending time with her family; specifically, her 7 nieces and 3 nephews. She’s obsessed with her main homegirl-her cat, Pip. She enjoys discovering new places and cultures, sewing, cross stitching, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, learning new things, and living her best bookworm life!
Nikky Xiongxtoyed
Nikky received her J.D. at the University of La Verne College of Law, and graduated from Gonzaga University with her B.A. in Political Science and minor in Criminal Justice.
Through her internships at the public defender’s office, Nikky developed a passion for helping under-represented communities. In her free time, she likes to go fishing and traveling.
