NLADA Client and Community Advocate Fellowship

Krystyne Kiogima is a Client and Community Advocate Fellow dedicated to empowering individuals and strengthening communities through advocacy, education, and equitable access to justice. With more than a decade of experience in tribal, nonprofit, and local government settings, she has focused her career on helping individuals and families navigate systems, access resources, and create opportunities for lasting change.

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies at Ferris State University, Krystyne brings lived experience, professional expertise, and a strong commitment to compassion, collaboration, and equity. Through the Michigan Indian Legal Services Client & Community Advocate Fellow cohort, she hopes to strengthen her advocacy and leadership skills while supporting lasting impact for tribal communities and underserved populations.

Michigan Indian Legal Services (MILS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal aid organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income people who otherwise could not afford to hire an attorney.  MILS was created to address the unmet legal needs documented in a study conducted by the Michigan Governor’s Commission on Indian Affairs in the early 1970s.

Celeste Luttrell brings a deep commitment to systemic advocacy and community well-being to her role as a Client and Community Advocate Fellow. Currently pursuing her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Utah, she has served as an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team Coordinator, a Deputy Public Guardian with the Utah Department of Health & Human Services, and a re-entry caseworker. Known for her impassioned advocacy, Celeste has contributed directly to correctional re-entry and MAT/MOUD prison policies. She intends to pursue a dual JD/MSW to continue leveraging interdisciplinary tools to break down systemic barriers for underserved communities across Utah.

The mission of Utah Legal Services (ULS) is to provide high-quality civil legal aid without cost to people who are unable to afford legal representation or are facing disadvantages, ensuring meaningful access to justice, and promoting education, stability, safety and protection.

The vision is for Utahns to effectively advocate for their rights and have access to legal representation regardless of their financial situation or personal circumstances. Last year, ULS assisted more than 9,000 clients with legal issues related to their basic needs, such as housing, family safety and income security.

Tyra Patterson is both an artist and an activist. She is the Community Outreach Strategist at the Ohio Justice & Policy Center (OJPC). In this role, Tyra helps to educate the public and advance OJPC's mission, which includes free legal representation for justice-impacted people, innovative policy reform, and empowerment through community education.

Much of her work has focused on educating attorneys and other legal professionals about human-centered, client-focused relationships. Tyra has facilitated workshops, taught classes, and shared her own lived experience with Gideon’s Promise, the Public Defender’s Annual Conference, Harvard Law School, the Missouri State Public Defender's Office, the Prison Education Conference, and many others. She has also teamed up with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to educate its players and office personnel on the lasting impacts of mass incarceration.

Tyra is deeply instrumental in advancing policy changes for justice-impacted individuals at the local, state, and federal levels. She was heavily involved in the advocacy and passing of State Bill 256, which banned life sentences without parole for children in Ohio. Understanding the power of art, Tyra led OJPC’s approach to include art as a tool to elevate clients' stories and voice their experiences within the criminal legal system.

Tyra recognized that justice-impacted artists in Cincinnati needed help pursuing work in the arts space due to the lack of formal education or the means to build a portfolio. In an effort to change the narrative and increase opportunities, Tyra was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Art Academy of Cincinnati, as well as to the Boards of Directors of ArtWorks Cincinnati, Black Art Speaks, and Just Media.

While art is her passion, policy is never far behind. Tyra serves as a Board Member for Life After Justice and is a member of the Innocence Project’s Exoneree Council.

Tyra’s story has been featured in Essence, Rolling Stone, The Guardian and many other media outlets.

Tyra is a human bibliography when it comes to National Geographic books. An animal lover, she currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her dogs, Diva and Dainty, and her cat, DollBaby. She is a pickleball enthusiast and enjoys interior decorating.

Ohio Justice & Policy Center (OJPC) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit law firm with offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, Ohio. The firm fights for equal justice and fair treatment in all stages of incarceration because every person deserves dignity after conviction and freedom after sentence.