Ashley Socha is a Staff Attorney in the Public Benefits team at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus. She began working for LASC as a law clerk while attending law school. After finding her passion for public interest law through her clerking experience, she applied for an Equal Justice Works Fellowship during her third year in law school and began working full time with LASC after receiving her degree. Her early work with LASC focused on immigrant eligibility for public benefits and language access issues, but her current practice expands beyond immigrants to helping clients gain or keep access to the food stamps, cash assistance, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits that they need. She advocates for clients facing both systemic and individual issues as part of her practice. Her most significant work came when she and other LASC attorneys won a major case that resulted in the state of Ohio changing their Medicaid eligibility qualifications for lawful permanent residents. This law change helped, and continues to help, LASC clients obtain the basic medical care they need to lead their lives. Her favorite part of public benefits work is interacting directly with clients and helping them gain access to benefits that allow them to meet their basic needs.
Ashley Socha is a Staff Attorney in the Public Benefits team at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus. She began working for LASC as a law clerk while attending law school. After finding her passion for public interest law through her clerking experience, she applied for an Equal Justice Works Fellowship during her third year in law school and began working full time with LASC after
