Ashley Socha is a Staff Attorney in the Public Benefits team at LASCO. She began working for LASCO (then 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 LASCO after receiving her degree. Her early work with LASCO 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 LASCO 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, LASCO 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.

Bar Admissions and Activities

• Member, Columbus Bar Association
• Chair, Medical-Legal Partnership Taskforce
• Licensed to Practice in Ohio and the Southern District of Ohio
  

Education

• Miami University (B.A. 2003)
• Capital University Law School (J.D. 2007)