Ashley C. Story, Civil Rights Attorney in Columbia, South Carolina

Originally from Cheraw, South Carolina in Chesterfield County, Ashley Story takes a personal interest in public education since she attended public schools in her home county and graduated from Cheraw High School. Public school teachers and administrators are highly regarded by Ashley, as she gained first-hand experience and respect for the hard work that they do for our students, having lived with (and was taught by) her step-father, who has dedicated his entire professional life to teaching at Long Middle School in her hometown.

Ashley is proud of her native roots and takes great passion in assisting school districts and other public entities across our state. Before partnering with Andrea White to form White & Story, LLC, in April of 2017, Ashley began advising local school districts and public agencies during her tenure at Duff, White & Turner, LLC. She provides counsel on a variety of topics ranging from employment and personnel matters to student disciplinary concerns and tort issues. Additionally, Ashley enjoys connecting with her clients and others by presenting on various legal topics at conferences throughout the state.

Ashley previously practiced employment law with J. Lewis Cromer & Associates, LLC, for four years, gaining experience in both federal and state employment issues by representing employees in both the private and public sectors, giving her a unique perspective on defending potential employment claims and providing legal advice as it concerns personnel matters. She has experience in both state and federal courts; is familiar with various administrative processes, including state employee grievance procedures and teacher dismissals; and she thoroughly enjoys her civil litigation work. Ashley is an active member of the Richland County Bar Association and works frequently with Project HELP, which enables attorneys to provide free legal advice to Columbia’s homeless population; currently, she serves on the Executive Committee for the RCBA.

Prior to graduating from the University of South Carolina School of Law in May of 2012, Ashley served as a Public Interest Law Fellow and clerked with South Carolina Legal Services and Richland County CASA. Ashley was actively involved with various law school extracurricular activities; she was a competing member of the Mock Trial Bar, served as Vice President of the Pro Bono Board, and was a member of the Black Law Student Association.

After graduating from Cheraw High School, Ashley obtained her undergraduate degree in International Business and Marketing from the University of South Carolina with Honors from the South Carolina Honors College; she minored in French. During her free time, Ashley enjoys traveling and playing with her rescue Greyhounds, Turbo and Nellie.