Shirley and the late Harland Stonecipher founded Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. in 1972, after enduring the legal aftermath of a serious car accident in which he had been involved. Setting aside his career as a teacher, Mr. Stonecipher resolved “to give every American – not just the wealthy – the ability to have equal access to the American legal system.”

Using a proprietary network of provider law firms, the company offered pre-paid legal service plans, including attorney consultation, document preparation, will preparation, trial defense and other services. Over the next 40 years, more than 1.4 million families would establish memberships.

The company held its initial public offering in 1984. In 2000, Pre-Paid Legal was included on the Forbes list of the 200 Best Small Companies in America for the fifth year in a row. That same year, Harland Stonecipher co-authored The Pre-Paid Legal Story, and the company surpassed the one million member mark. In November 2010, Forbes magazine ranked Pre-Paid Legal Services the 78th best company in America.

In 2002, Harland Stonecipher was recognized by Ernst & Young as Southwest Master Entrepreneur of the Year. His alma mater, East Central University, named the Harland C. Stonecipher School of Business in his honor.

In January 2011, Pre-Paid Legal shareholders agreed to a purchase by MidOcean Partners, a New York-based private equity firm. The transaction closed on June 31, 2011, marking the company’s return to private ownership. On September 10, 2011, the company announced that its name had formally changed to LegalShield, with headquarters remaining in Ada, Oklahoma.

Mr. and Mrs. Stonecipher’s namesake scholarship fund continues to advance the cause of legal representation through the students it supports in TU’s College of Law. The Harland and Shirley Stonecipher Endowed Scholarship Fund for the College of Law will assist deserving and outstanding TU law students for generations to come.