NATIONAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE COLLEGE ALUMNI

Kaushiki is a career defender in both the criminal legal and family regulation systems. She began her legal career in 2011 as a deputy state public defender in Colorado. There, she defended and advocated for thousands of people at initial bail hearings through jury trials. After developing and honing her advocacy skills as a public defender, Kaushiki moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2017, to work for the mothers of North Tulsa at Still She Rises, a holistic legal nonprofit. Kaushiki represented mothers charged with significant felonies including enabling child abuse, child neglect, and murder. At Still She Rises, she learned the importance and benefits of being in an interdisciplinary office with a dedicated team of attorneys, investigators, parent advocates, and resource specialists, all working together on a parent’s behalf. While in Tulsa, Kaushiki witnessed firsthand how the family regulation system, working in tandem with the criminal legal system, harmed, punished, and devastated families in poor and Black and brown communities. As the practice head, Kaushiki led the development of the criminal defense practice and the family defense practice. Outside of the courtroom, Kaushiki enjoys learning from and working with community members and young organizers on dismantling carceral systems and creating spaces of community care. Kaushiki has been invited to lead training in client-led representation, litigation skills, and developing holistic practices. She is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense Trial College. Kaushiki received her Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin in Government & Asian American Studies and her Juris Doctorate from The University of Cincinnati College of Law.