Patrice James has spent her career tackling the inequities of the criminal justice system. Most recently she was a founding attorney of Still She Rises, Tulsa, where she provided holistic legal representation, primarily to low-income women of color; engaged in community building; and advocated for shifting the narrative of women involved in the criminal justice system "from broken women to broken systems" as the director of external relations. While in Tulsa, Patrice immersed herself in the needs of north Tulsa by volunteering with various organizations and serving on several boards, including the Met Cares Foundation and the Greater Tulsa African American Affairs Commission. Before Tulsa, Patrice was a public defender at the Bronx Defenders for five years, where she provided zealous criminal defense representation to people living in the Bronx. Understanding the value of community, Patrice led the office’s mentoring program for incoming attorneys and provided “Know Your Rights” trainings for students at local middle and high schools.