Ashlea originally joined Benting Law Firm as a law school intern and upon graduating law school, she returned to the firm as a law clerk. Ashlea grew up in Playas NM and in Deming NM and is a proud graduate of Deming High School. She attended New Mexico State University where she graduated in 2009 with a B.B.A. in General Business. She recently completed her Juris Doctorate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law where she graduated with academic honors in May 2020.
Prior to pursuing her legal education, Ashlea was a Vocational Transition Specialist for the Southwestern region of the state where she assisted students in special education with their transition from school to community. Prior to that, Ashlea worked for the State of New Mexico Human Services Department for eight years. Ashlea’s positions in serving her community and her state are what inspired her to pursue her juris doctorate.
Ashlea earned placement on the Dean’s List each year she attended law school. Ashlea has been recognized for her pro bono service, accumulating more than 50 volunteer hours during her time as a law student. Ashlea also interned at the New Mexico Public Defender’s Office and the New Mexico Legal Aid Office in Las Cruces NM. During her final year in law school, Ashlea was selected as a member of the school’s mediation competition team and she competed in the regional American Bar Association mediation representation competition.