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Khanstoshea is a first-generation, Afro-Bangladeshi, queer, and disabled law student. For more than a decade, they have provided legal investigation and paralegal support for civil rights and impact litigation, and criminal defense cases. They are the co-founder of the Sacramento Ticket Defense Clinic, a pro bono legal advocacy organization that provides defense and support for people experiencing homelessness whose basic survival needs have been criminalized. As the clinic’s Outreach and Litigation Manager, Khanstoshea trains attorneys, legal workers, and law students to effectively support the clinic’s mission and advocacy efforts.
Khanstoshea develops and facilitates trauma-informed, community-centered lawyering and service delivery trainings for state and local Public Defender Offices, as well as service providers working in mental health, psychiatric emergency peer response, de-escalation, substance use, domestic violence safety planning, and trauma-informed outreach. They also provide trainings to community members, law students, and legal workers on topics including Know Your Rights, Public Records Act request, evidence and declaration gathering, and strategies for supporting impact litigation.
Beyond their legal work, Khanstoshea is a filmmaker whose documentary storytelling recently focused on anti-Asian hate, Black and Asian solidarity, the movement to end life without parole, and the experiences of Black Girlhood.
Khanstoshea is committed to building systems of care for historically marginalized communities.
