ABOUT US
Our mission at TLC is to ensure high quality legal representation of Oklahoma's abused and neglected children by recruiting, training, and mentoring professionals in juvenile law.
In the late 1990’s, a need arose in Tulsa County for lawyers to provide pro bono representation for children who were suspected of being abused, neglected or abandoned when the Public Defender could not represent these children due to a conflict with the parents or guardians. So through the efforts of the Tulsa County Bar Association and its committee on Children and the Law, Tulsa Lawyers for Children – TLC – was formed in April 2000.
With the financial support of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation in 2018, TLC examined the legal status of 482 children who were represented by TLC from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. The results can be reviewed in TLC’s 2018 White Paper, Improving Foster Care Placement In Oklahoma.
In 2019, additional funding was provided by the Oklahoma Bar Foundation and the Arlo DeKraii Family Foundation to update the data on TLC’s 2017 clients. TLC’s updated white paper can be found here, Update on Improving Foster Care Placement in Oklahoma.
TLC has two goals:
01.
TLC accepts court appointments when there is a conflict of interest; for example, when the Public Defender’s Office represents a parent or when various siblings desire a different outcome in the case.
02.
TLC provides appropriate training to ensure volunteer attorneys representing children have the professional skill and competence required to practice in this specialized area of the law.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rachel Thompson, President
Bank of Oklahoma
Amber Howard Cornelius, Vice President
Needham & Associates, PLLC
Charles Greenough, Treasurer
McAfee Taft
Margo E. Shipley, Secretary
Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, P.C.
Claire Lenz, Student Representative
The University of Tulsa – College of Law
Thomas J. Kirby
Retired attorney from ONEOK
Yvette Hart
Solo Practitioner
Wendy Williams
Health and Safety Education Consultants & Training Center, LLC
R. Daniel Carter
Conner & Winters
Cassia Carr
Deputy Mayor, City of Tulsa
Becki Murphy
Murphy Francy, PLLC
April Ryan
True North, LLC
Rachel Baker
The University of Tulsa – College of Law
Marquess Dennis
Birthright Living Legacy
Timothy Carney
Magellan Midstream Partners, LP
Vani Singhal
United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Oklahoma
John H. Rule
Gable Gotwals Law Firm
Rhiannon Baker
Secrest, Hill, Butler & Secrest
Stephanie Barberousse
Johnson & Jones, PC
Susan Walker
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma
James Fisher
QuikTrip Corporation
TLC STAFF
Timothy Michaels-Johnson, JD
Executive Director
timothy@tulsakidlaw.org
Phone: 918.425.5858
Courtney Nelbach, JD
Staff Attorney
courtney@tulsakidlaw.org
Phone: 918.425.5858
Sonya (Pyles) McDonald
Program Coordinator
volunteer@tulsakidlaw.org
Phone: 918.425.5858 ext. 202
Hope (Sheppard-Mahaffey) Cooper, JD
Staff Attorney
hope@tulsakidlaw.org
Phone: 918.425.5858
OPEN MEETINGS ACT
FINANCIALS
POLICY ON INDIRECT COSTS
Tulsa Lawyers for Children, Inc. is a non-profit funded by grants and donations. As an organization it is has been approved to request 10% of the total grant award in indirect costs for federally approved grants. Tulsa Lawyers for Children does not pay in excess of 10% in indirect costs on contracts with Institutes of Higher Learning.
DISCRIMINATION
TLC does not discriminate against any person on the basis of the person’s race, color, national origin,
sex, religion, disability or age, or retaliate against any person for having engaged in protected activity.
