In honor of her commitment to uplifting women in the law and serving the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Ashley P. Withers will be presented with the 2021 Distinguished Alumna Award by SMU Women in Law during the Annual Spring Brunch on Wednesday, April 7.
Each year, SMU Women in Law (WIL) honors one alumna and one faculty member for their contributions to promoting women in the legal profession. Honorees are nominated by students and selected by the WIL Executive Board based on the impact they have had on students and the greater legal community.
In addition to honoring Ashley, the WIL will present Christine Leatherberry, Director of Alumni Relations at SMU Dedman School of Law, with the 2021 Distinguished Faculty Member Award. Following the awards ceremony, there will be a presentation by guest speaker Renee Knake Jefferson, co-author of Shortlisted: Women in the Shadows of the Supreme Court.
Since 2014, Ashley has volunteered her time with the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL) in many roles, including as a member of the Board of Directors, the Board Liaison to the Law Student Assistance Committee and Assisting Lawyers in Transition Committee, a member of the Moms-In-Law special interest group, and a past member of Mentoring Circles. As a DAYL director for the past four years, she has helped organize DAYL’s Law Student Summer Program in 2020 and 2021, annual law student mock interviews at SMU Dedman School of Law, and a semi-annual swearing-in ceremony at the Belo Mansion. She also regularly speaks with law students about their career paths and getting involved in the Dallas legal community. In honor of her involvement, Ashley was named the 2018 recipient of the Outstanding Director Award.
On her selection as this year’s Distinguished Alumna, Ashley said, “It’s an honor to be recognized by my law school alma mater. The work that the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers has been doing to help students in law school is so crucial for networking and learning about the legal profession, and I am proud to have helped coordinate DAYL’s programming at SMU and other law schools.”
“The work that the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers has been doing to help students in law school is so crucial for networking and learning about the legal profession, and I am proud to have helped coordinate DAYL’s programming at SMU and other law schools.”
Comprising about 3,000 attorneys, DAYL is the only bar organization in Dallas dedicated solely to the needs of young lawyers and the community service projects that they find meaningful. By volunteering their time and skills to host around 150 projects every year, DAYL members make and benefit from countless contributions to their profession and their community.
To explore the impact of attorneys like Ashley who dedicate their time and resources to serve the community, visit our Diversity & Inclusion page.
