Mitigation Specialist (24-Month Fellowship)

Mitigation Specialist (24-Month Fellowship, With Potential for Continued Employment)

Still She Rises, Inc. (SSR) provides free legal representation to pregnant women, mothers, and women who are primary caregivers who have been brought into the criminal legal and family policing systems. Founded in North Tulsa, SSR delivers client-centered, innovative, and holistic legal advocacy. We honor the dignity of the women we serve by championing our clients’ individual goals while working to address systemic issues that impact the broader community.

SSR seeks highly motivated individuals who are deeply committed to indigent defense and trauma-informed, client-centered practice.

About the Role
The Mitigation Specialist develops the in-depth, humanizing context that supports holistic defense advocacy. Mitigation work focuses on understanding and documenting the life experiences, trauma histories, and systemic factors that shape a client’s circumstances, and presenting that context in ways that support advocacy and dignity.

This role centers on specialized mitigation investigation while also supporting general investigative tasks as needed to ensure case flow across the team.

Mitigation Specialists conduct biopsychosocial and life-history investigations; interview clients, families, and community members; collect and analyze records; and prepare narrative-based materials for pre- and post-disposition advocacy. Working as part of an interdisciplinary defense team under the supervision of the Advocacy Practice Leader, the Mitigation Specialist collaborates closely with attorneys, investigators, and defense experts to integrate mitigation themes into case strategy and courtroom preparation.

This is an early-to-mid career mitigation role with meaningful responsibility and structured supervision. The Mitigation Specialist will carry their own cases while receiving ongoing guidance and mentorship. The position offers the opportunity to help expand and shape mitigation practice across the office through the fellowship component.

This role is especially well suited for someone who sees narrative, context, and dignity as central to justice work.

Fellowship Focus (24-Month Term)
This position is structured as a 24-month fellowship designed to help build and strengthen mitigation practices across the office. The fellow will play a key role in expanding how SSR integrates trauma-informed mitigation into defense advocacy, training client teams, and helping identify key litigation moments where mitigation can be most impactful.

The fellow will:

●Help equip client teams with the skills to identify and develop mitigation themes
●Work with practice leaders to identify litigation junctures and practice areas where mitigation can be most impactful
●Conduct trainings and develop instructional materials related to mitigation practice

This role is ideal for someone with a deep understanding of trauma’s impact on behavior and for professionals who embrace abolitionist principles, including restorative and transformative justice.

Responsibilities Include:

Investigation & Casework
●Conduct biopsychosocial assessments and gather comprehensive life-history information to support mitigation strategy.
●Collect, review, and analyze records related to mental health, trauma history, education, medical background, and family systems.
●Prepare clear, compelling mitigation reports and case materials for pre- and post-disposition advocacy.
●Perform general investigative tasks as needed to support case flow, including interviews, fact-gathering, records collection, and documentation relevant to mitigation themes.
●Maintain thorough, timely, and well-organized documentation and case files in accordance with SSR standards.

Client Support & Collaborative Practice
●Interview clients, family members, caregivers, and community sources to develop holistic social histories and contextual information.
●Collaborate closely with attorneys, investigators, and interdisciplinary partners to integrate mitigation themes into case strategy and hearing or trial preparation.
●Communicate findings, updates, risks, and emerging insights proactively to support smooth teamwork and effective client-centered representation.
●Support court proceedings where mitigation evidence is required, including preparation of exhibits, narratives, and expert-aligned materials.

Learning, Growth & Practice Contribution
●Lead the professional development and training strategy and design for the Investigation Practice.
● Develop and refine frameworks for competency progression, coaching, evaluation, and staff development.
● Coach and develop supervisors, ensuring strong performance management, consistent quality standards, and effective staff development across the Investigation Practice.
● Model SSR’s values and culture, fostering a healthy, sustainable, and high-performing practice environment.

Specialized Role Functions
●Coordinate with defense experts, including identifying appropriate expert types, preparing materials, managing scheduling, and supporting communication.
●Develop narrative-based mitigation strategies that contextualize client experiences, trauma histories, and systemic factors.
●Support special projects aligned with mitigation or contextual investigation needs based on team capacity and organizational priorities.