Our Founding Team

Dr. LaFortune is an attorney and forensic psychologist working for the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau. She has relentless energy and compassion to serve women and her community. Dr. LaFortune  coordinates psychological services in delinquency and deprived cases for children and juveniles. She graduated from Duke University (BS) and the University of Tulsa with her JD and PhD. She has been an adjunct assistant professor at OSU health sciences center in the Masters program for forensic science and at the University of Tulsa College of law and the department of clinical psychology there. She also taught for five years as an adjunct instructor at New York Law School’s mental disability law program. She is presently on the Courtwatch Committee for the American Psychological Association and serves as a judicial notebook author for the American Psychological Association Monitor. She received the outstanding volunteer award from Volunteers of America and the Distinguished Professional Services Citation from the Oklahoma Psychological Association and was Chair of the Oklahoma Bar Association criminal law section. She is a member of the Oklahoma Juvenile Competency work group for the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth. Kathy is one of Tulsa’s former first ladies and is married to former Tulsa Mayor and District Judge Bill LaFortune.

R. Tom Hillis has practiced law in Oklahoma for over 30 years. He practices in the areas of commercial law and litigation and employment law. Tom has tried cases in each Federal District in Oklahoma and in numerous counties throughout Oklahoma.

Tom regularly represents business clients in all aspects of commercial and employment law. This includes negotiating and drafting contracts, and maintaining appropriate corporate books and records. He regularly advises clients on regulatory and administrative issues with state and federal agencies. Tom also has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions of businesses.

Tom maintains an active employment practice. He regularly defends employers in jury trials, and before numerous administrative agencies. He regularly speaks on employment related topics at continuing legal education seminars. Tom serves as an Adjunct Settlement Judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma and routinely mediates employment related cases. Tom is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Tom is also a part-time Assistant District Attorney for Osage and Pawnee Counties in Oklahoma. In this role, he handles civil matters for these counties, and provides advice to county officers.

jasmine Sankofa is a Policy and Research Manager for Criminal Justice Reform at FWD.us, where she manages decarceration campaigns in Arizona and Oklahoma. 

Previously, jasmine was a Fellow at Human Rights Watch and the ACLU, a law clerk for the Honorable Ronald L. Ellis of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and a Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow through Georgetown Law Center. 

jasmine graduated from UCLA School of Law with specializations in Critical Race Studies and Public Interest Law and Policy, and UC San Diego with dual degrees in Sociology and Critical Gender Studies (with honors) and a minor in African-American Studies.

Google the term "Renaissance man" and you may well find a site dedicated to Vincent LoVoi. With wide-ranging interests and expertise in multiple areas — including law, legislation, intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, international commerce, biomedical science and aerospace — LoVoi  is perhaps best described as a Tulsa-focused entrepreneur and investor. Among his many pursuits, LoVoi served as publisher for This Land Press, which he describes as Oklahoma’s first new media company. LoVoi, a native Tulsan, and lifelong friend Joel Kantor grew up together and are now managing partners of Mimosa Tree Capital Partners, a private firm that invests in ventures seeking early-stage or turnaround financing. LoVoi was the founding board chair of Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Colleen McCarty is an attorney and life-long advocate of a more just system.  In 2017, McCarty went back to the University of Tulsa College of Law to attend law school (JD ‘20). She served as an Articles Submission Editor on the Tulsa Law Review. Her law review note, “When Voters’ Intent Backfires: Interpreting Inconsistencies Created by Voter-Approved Criminal Justice Reforms within Oklahoma’s Drug Court Statute” was published in the Spring 2020 Issue of the Tulsa Law Review. While in law school, McCarty assisted in the commutation of hundreds of felony drug sentences (both directly and indirectly) before the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. Since seeing the impact advocacy can have on our criminal justice system, she has served as Policy Counsel and Deputy Director of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform. She is currently working to advance critical justice reform measures at the Oklahoma Legislature. McCarty is married and is a mom to two kids and two energetic Australian shepherds.