About Ashley Michele
Ashley Michele Coghill arrived at law after an academic run that combined criminal justice and psychology. She completed two bachelor’s degrees at Appalachian State University in 2006, earning a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a B.A. in Psychology. Those twin perspectives — one on systems and procedure, the other on human behavior — inform how she approaches legal problems. They also set the stage for further study overseas and in Raleigh.
She earned her J.D. from Campbell Law School in 2012 and pursued additional legal training at Reading University, where she completed an advanced certificate in International Business Law in 2014. That mix of domestic legal training and a formal grounding in international business law provided a broad base early in her career. In 2015 she worked with the Land Loss Prevention Project and entered private practice the same year as an associate at Bryant & Lewis, P.A.
Coghill’s early years in private practice included nearly four years at Bryant & Lewis before she joined Cranfill Sumner LLP as an associate in 2019. Her time at Cranfill Sumner expanded her exposure to firm-side legal work and client representation. In 2023 she became a partner at Davis Hartman Wright LLP. The progression tracks steady movement from associate roles into firm leadership over the course of roughly a decade.
She is licensed to practice in North Carolina. Her background — undergraduate study in criminal justice and psychology, a J.D., and an advanced certificate in international business law — crosses public-interest work and firm practice. That varied experience has given her familiarity with different case settings and client needs, and it provides a blend of analytical and behavioral perspectives she can draw on when advising clients.
Coghill maintains an office at Davis Hartman Wright LLP and practices in North Carolina. Her career has included both nonprofit work and positions at regional law firms, culminating in her current partnership. She now practices at Davis Hartman Wright LLP, where her work centers on matters in North Carolina.
