About Anastasia
Anastasia Cowan studied English at Ohio State University before turning to law. She earned a B.A. in English in 2006 and completed her J.D. at Capital University in 2010. Her academic path combined a liberal arts foundation with practical legal training. It laid the groundwork for a practice that intersects family law, juvenile matters and mental health issues.
Her legal career began immediately after law school. In 2010 she worked at Black Letter Discovery, gaining early exposure to litigation support and document review. The following year she staffed matters through Synergy Legal Staffing, a period that broadened her familiarity with different practice environments. In 2012 she opened a solo practice and handled a range of matters at first hand. That experience in a small practice setting sharpened her case management and client-facing skills.
In 2013 Cowan joined the Council for Children’s Rights as a mental health lawyer. There she worked on cases where legal questions and clinical issues intersected. That role led to an emphasis on child welfare and juvenile proceedings. Two years later, in 2015, she became a partner at Arnold & Smith PLLC. Her rise to partnership marked a transition to a firm environment where she combined courtroom work with collaborative case planning.
Cowan holds board certifications that speak to her chosen specialties. She is a North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist through the North Carolina State Bar. She is also a Board Certified Specialist in Child Welfare Law from the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC). Those credentials reflect formal recognition of experience and training in family and child welfare law.
She maintains active memberships in professional organizations that align with her practice areas. Those include the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Bar Association’s Family Law Division and Juvenile Law Division, and the National Association of Counsel for Children. Participation in these groups informs her practice and keeps her connected to developments in family and juvenile law.
Cowan’s work spans contested family law matters, child welfare cases and proceedings where mental health issues are central. She has handled matters in both office and court settings and works with colleagues across disciplines. She practices at Arnold & Smith PLLC, where she concentrates on family law and child welfare matters.
