What Is Access to Justice?
“Access to justice” is a reality when any person, regardless of income, education, background, or circumstance can meaningfully address or resolve their issues using appropriate legal tools or systems.
When Oklahomans face life-changing challenges such as domestic violence, child custody disputes, eviction, foreclosure, discrimination, consumer debt, or the loss of veterans’, health, or disability benefits, they can turn to the civil justice system for relief.
The problem is the civil justice system is complex and difficult to navigate without the help of an attorney. And unlike the criminal justice system, there is generally no right to an attorney in civil justice matters. So when people represent themselves in court, filing fees, procedural rules, and confusion about the law can all act as barriers to fair and just outcomes.
The Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation works to overcome these barriers to meaningful access to justice, guided by our core organizational values:
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Collaboration - We collaborate through proactively working with others, including sharing resources and ideas, to achieve common goals and accomplish our mission.
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Accessibility - We believe justice is accessible when all people can understand, navigate, and interact with the justice system without physical or systemic barriers and regardless of financial resources.
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Innovation - We innovate by challenging a status quo that leaves 80% of civil legal needs unaddressed and seeking change for the better, while recognizing that change must be equitable and useful.
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Empowerment - We empower by enabling people to stand up for themselves, educating them about their power and voice, and providing the tools to enact those principles, while making needed reforms to systems so individuals and advocates can fully realize that power.
This work is only possible with the support of funders and individual donors. Please consider expanding our work with a gift.
Our Mission:
Meet the Team!
Katie Dilks has served as the Executive Director of the ATJ Foundation since 2019. Her commitment to collaboration and empowerment drives her work with the ATJ Foundation team as well as partners across Oklahoma and beyond our state’s borders. She firmly believes that complicated questions mean there are no one-size-fits-all answers, and that coordinated but diverse efforts are the key to building long-term, sustainable solutions.
Katie earned her Juris Doctor and Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University, and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas. She is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia.
Executive Director
Katie Dilks
Tiffani Armendariz joined the ATJ Foundation in March of 2024. As Director of Legal Empowerment, it is her mission to empower Oklahomans across the state - both those who seek legal assistance and those who provide it. As the lead trainer of the OCJN program + Legal First Aid training, she has a programmatic vision for the state that she works toward diligently, and she is committed to pro bono excellence as a strategic avenue for increasing access to justice and legal empowerment in Oklahoma.
Tiffani has been a licensed attorney in Oklahoma since 2016 after graduating from Oklahoma City University College of Law. She also served as a high school English teacher for five years prior to law school.
Director of Legal Empowerment
Tiffani Armendariz
Jenna King has been with the ATJ Foundation since 2023 as Director of Operations, and in 2025 she additionally took a lead role in our social media and communications strategy. She received her Accounting Specialist degree from Tulsa Community College and serves a critical role in keeping the ATJ Foundation organized, compliant, and effective.
Listen for Jenna in our monthly podcast - Oklahoma Justice Exchange!
Director of Operations
Jenna King
Shandi Stoner has served as Director of Legal Innovation since June of 2024. Licensed in Oklahoma since 2009, her work with the ATJ Foundation focuses on collaboration, capacity building, and making civil law plain for everyone in Oklahoma. She is passionate about breaking down outdated systems and finding creative, people-centered solutions to complex problems.
Shandi graduated from Oklahoma City University College of Law, and served in a wide variety of legal roles across Oklahoma before joining the ATJ Foundation.
Director of Legal Innovation
Shandi Stoner
Alisha Clegg joined the ATJ Foundation in August 2025 as Associate Director of Legal Impact. Her work focuses on expanding availability of legal resources to ensure Oklahomans can meaningfully navigate the civil justice system across the state. Alisha previously served as a research and policy intern for the Foundation in her final semester of law school and brings a wealth of experience to the team, including a decade in higher education and nonprofit administration prior to law school.
Alisha earned her J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and is a member of the Oklahoma Bar. She also holds a M.Ed. from the University of Houston, and B.A. and B.J. from The University of Texas at Austin.
Associate Director of Legal Impact
Alisha
Katie Dilks
Executive Director
Katie Dilks has served as the Executive Director of the ATJ Foundation since 2019. Her commitment to collaboration and empowerment drives her work with the ATJ Foundation team as well as partners across Oklahoma and beyond our state’s borders. She firmly believes that complicated questions mean there are no one-size-fits-all answers, and that coordinated but diverse efforts are the key to building long-term, sustainable solutions.
Katie earned her Juris Doctor and Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University, and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas. She is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia.
Tiffani Armendariz
Director of Legal Empowerment
Tiffani Armendariz joined the ATJ Foundation in March of 2024. As Director of Legal Empowerment, it is her mission to empower Oklahomans across the state - both those who seek legal assistance and those who provide it. As the lead trainer of the OCJN program + Legal First Aid training, she has a programmatic vision for the state that she works toward diligently, and she is committed to pro bono excellence as a strategic avenue for increasing access to justice and legal empowerment in Oklahoma.
Tiffani has been a licensed attorney in Oklahoma since 2016 after graduating from Oklahoma City University College of Law. She also served as a high school English teacher for five years prior to law school.
Jenna King
Director of Operations
Jenna King has been with the ATJ Foundation since 2023 as Director of Operations, and in 2025 she additionally took a lead role in our social media and communications strategy. She received her Accounting Specialist degree from Tulsa Community College and serves a critical role in keeping the ATJ Foundation organized, compliant, and effective.
Listen for Jenna in our monthly podcast - Oklahoma Justice Exchange!
Shandi Stoner
Director of Legal Innovation
Shandi Stoner has served as Director of Legal Innovation since June of 2024. Licensed in Oklahoma since 2009, her work with the ATJ Foundation focuses on collaboration, capacity building, and making civil law plain for everyone in Oklahoma. She is passionate about breaking down outdated systems and finding creative, people-centered solutions to complex problems.
Shandi graduated from Oklahoma City University College of Law, and served in a wide variety of legal roles across Oklahoma before joining the ATJ Foundation.
Alisha Clegg
Alisha Clegg joined the ATJ Foundation in August 2025 as Associate Director of Legal Impact. Her work focuses on expanding availability of legal resources to ensure Oklahomans can meaningfully navigate the civil justice system across the state. Alisha previously served as a research and policy intern for the Foundation in her final semester of law school and brings a wealth of experience to the team, including a decade in higher education and nonprofit administration prior to law school.
Alisha earned her J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and is a member of the Oklahoma Bar. She also holds a M.Ed. from the University of Houston, and B.A. and B.J. from The University of Texas at Austin.
Associate Director of Legal Impact
Support Our Work
Your support is crucial to our efforts to make sure all Oklahomans can use the legal system when they need to. Your donations contribute directly to our work supporting legal service providers, expanding community legal empowerment, creating resources for people without lawyers to navigate court, and supporting pro bono volunteer efforts. Please support our work with a tax-deductible donation to the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation using the secure DonorBox link.
Support Our Work
Your support is crucial to our efforts to make sure all Oklahomans can use the legal system when they need to. Your donations contribute directly to our work supporting legal service providers, creating resources for self-represented individuals, and supporting pro bono volunteer efforts by attorneys. Please support our work with a tax-deductible donation to the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation using the secure link below.