Still She Rises

What Still She Rises does

Still She Rises is a 501(c)(3) non-profit holistic defense organization incorporated as Still She Rises, Tulsa Inc. and headquartered in North Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 2017, it is described as the first holistic defense office in the United States dedicated exclusively to representing mothers across both criminal and civil legal systems. Its service surface spans criminal defense, parent and family defense, civil defense, municipal cases, court debt representation, expungement, housing and eviction defense, traffic warrant relief, and impact litigation, delivered by an interdisciplinary team of attorneys, legal advocates, social workers, investigators, paralegals, and administrative staff.

The organization's business model is that of a non-profit legal services provider: all representation is provided free of charge to qualifying low-income mothers in North Tulsa, with no client fees. Revenue is sourced from donations and foundation grants, with the George Kaiser Family Foundation identified as the founding and core financial partner. Client intake is community-led, conducted by telephone five days a week, and reinforced by word-of-mouth referrals from community organizations, social workers, and other legal resources in Tulsa. When capacity is exceeded, the organization refers individuals to other legal resources rather than turning them away outright.

Still She Rises has no proprietary technology platform: it does not offer an API, SDK, mobile app, or disclosed integrations, and AI/ML capabilities are not present in any disclosed form. The organization pursues systemic change alongside direct representation through impact litigation and policy reform, with program strategies and policy priorities shaped by client and community input. It is governed by an independent board of directors chaired by founder Robin Steinberg (also founder of The Bronx Defenders and CEO of The Bail Project) and is operationally led by Executive Director Jane-Roberte Sampeur, a career public defender previously with the Legal Aid Society in New York City.

Name

Still She Rises

Legal name

Still She Rises, Tulsa Inc.

Website

https://stillsherises.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Still She Rises is a 501(c)(3) non-profit holistic defense office in North Tulsa, Oklahoma, founded in 2017 as the first in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to providing free criminal, civil, and family legal representation to low-income mothers, funded by donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Legal Services (54119), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Holistic legal defense
• Criminal defense representation
• Civil legal aid
• Family defense services
• Maternal incarceration advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Non-profit organization funded primarily through donations and foundation grants. Website includes a donation portal for public contributions. Services are provided free of charge to clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Still She Rises provides free, holistic legal representation to indigent mothers in North Tulsa across criminal, civil, family, parent defense, municipal, court debt, expungement, housing/eviction, and traffic warrant cases. Services are delivered by an interdisciplinary team of attorneys, legal advocates, social workers, resource specialists, and investigators, supplemented by impact litigation and policy reform advocacy. All services are provided at no cost to qualifying clients.

Product overview

Still She Rises is a holistic defense organization—not a technology platform—offering a unified suite of legal services dedicated exclusively to representing mothers in both criminal and civil legal systems. The organization operates as a single integrated practice combining: criminal defense, civil defense, family defense, parent defense, municipal case representation, court debt representation, expungement services, housing/eviction defense, traffic warrant relief, client advocacy (social work and resource connection), investigation services, impact litigation, and community intake. All services are delivered through an interdisciplinary team of attorneys, legal advocates, social workers, resource specialists, and investigators working collaboratively to address both the immediate legal needs and underlying factors driving women's involvement in the criminal justice system. The organization also pursues systemic change through policy reform and impact litigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Criminal Defense Representation Legal defense services for mothers facing criminal allegations, tailored to the unique challenges women face in the criminal justice system. Delivered through the organization's interdisciplinary team in North Tulsa, Oklahoma.
• Family Defense Representation Advocacy for family unity in the face of state intervention, including parent defense cases to prevent loss of children. Provided to indigent mothers facing parental rights and custody matters in North Tulsa.
• Civil Defense Representation Legal representation in civil matters beyond criminal cases, including housing court and family proceedings where criminal case impacts are felt. Provided to mothers who qualify for the organization's services in North Tulsa.
• Housing and Eviction Defense Protection against evictions and unfair landlord practices, addressing the collateral consequences of criminal involvement. Available to qualifying mothers in North Tulsa at no cost.
• Expungement Services Legal assistance with expunging criminal records to help mothers regain access to employment, housing, and opportunities. Available to qualifying indigent mothers.
• Court Debt Representation Advocacy for access to relief from court debt and financial burdens stemming from criminal justice involvement. Provided to qualifying mothers at no cost.
• Traffic Warrant Relief Legal services focused on relieving the burden of traffic warrants that can lead to further criminal justice involvement. Available to qualifying mothers in North Tulsa.
• Municipal Case Representation Legal defense services for mothers facing municipal charges in North Tulsa. Provided by the organization's criminal defense attorneys.
• Impact Litigation and Policy Reform Systemic reform efforts through impact litigation and policy change to address root causes of women's incarceration. Directed at state-level and systemic targets in Oklahoma.
• Client Advocacy Services Social workers and legal advocates who connect clients to public benefits, substance abuse treatment, counseling, and child care services. Provided as part of the holistic defense model to indigent mothers served by the organization.
• Investigation Services Investigators who find evidence and witnesses to support clients' cases. Part of the interdisciplinary defense team serving indigent mothers.
• Community Intake Services Telephone-based intake services available five days a week from 8:30am to 4:30pm, connecting individuals with legal resources in the Tulsa community. When capacity is limited, staff connect individuals to other legal resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly two-thirds of women in prison are mothers, and children of incarcerated mothers are more likely to enter foster care
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Dream Action OklahomaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal immigrant-led organization. Rosa Hernandez Jimenez began advocacy journey with this organization in 2016. Rosa received awards from this organization (Unafraid and Unashamed Award 2019, Dan Allen Center for Social Justice's Local Champion Award 2018).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Bronx Defenders: The Bronx Defenders pioneered the holistic defense model that Still She Rises explicitly replicates. Founded by Robin Steinberg (also Still She Rises Founder/Chair), it serves as the institutional template and most direct intellectual peer.
• The Bail Project: National nonprofit addressing pretrial detention through bail fund and community release support; led by Robin Steinberg (also Still She Rises Founder). Operates at the same intersection of criminal justice reform and family/community preservation.
• ArchCity Defenders: St. Louis-based holistic defense office employing the same interdisciplinary model (attorneys, social workers, investigators) born from the Bronx Defenders tradition. Functions as a structural twin in a different metropolitan context.
• Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem: Harlem-based public defender office that adopted the community-based holistic defense model with integrated social work and civil legal services, making it a closely comparable operational peer.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid Society (NYC): Large-scale NYC legal aid organization employing holistic defense practices (including Women's Pretrial Release Initiative where Still She Rises' ED previously worked). Functions as a broader incumbent version of the same model.
• Southern Poverty Law Center: Large national civil rights organization combining direct representation, impact litigation, and policy advocacy on issues intersecting with Still She Rises' maternal incarceration and racial justice work.
• Equal Justice Initiative: National organization combining impact litigation, legal representation, and policy reform on criminal justice issues. Board member Lisa Hoyes previously served as an NYU Law Fellow at EJI, illustrating direct organizational linkage.

Regional players

• Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma: Statewide Oklahoma legal aid organization that provides civil legal services including eviction defense (Still She Rises staff previously worked there). Most direct regional comparable providing similar services in the same state.

Others

• National Center for Law and Economic Justice: National impact litigation and policy advocacy organization focused on economic justice issues for low-income populations, overlapping with Still She Rises' economic justice practice.
• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers: National bar association advancing the defense function in criminal cases; relevant as a peer ecosystem organization supporting the criminal defense practice Still She Rises specializes in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/still_she_rises

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Still She Rises