About Ashley Stone
Ashley Stone Benedik earned her law degree from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1992, after completing undergraduate studies at Florida State University in 1989. She entered the profession at a moment when many jurisdictions were rethinking public defense and court services. The academic grounding in two states foreshadowed a career that would span both Louisiana and Florida.
Her first recorded public role came in 1993 when she joined the Office of the State Lawyer for the 14th Judicial Circuit as an Assistant State Lawyer. That early work placed her inside the courthouse daily and gave her direct courtroom experience. She handled court appearances, filings and the kind of case preparation that shapes a trial lawyer’s practical skills.
After more than a decade in public and private practice, Benedik became a partner at Cothran & Benedik, P.A. in 2006. The partnership lasted until 2009, when she established her own practice, Ashley Stone Benedik, Lawyer at Law. As owner she took on full responsibility for case selection, client counseling and firm administration. Running a small firm required balancing courtroom work with the business side of practice.
Professional associations have been part of her career. She has been a member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 2005, a long-standing affiliation that aligns her with defense practitioners across the state. Between 2008 and 2011 she served on a Judicial Nominating Committee, a role that involved evaluating applicants for judicial vacancies and offering recommendations within the appointment process.
Benedik is licensed to practice in both Louisiana and Florida. That dual standing allows her to take cases that intersect the two systems and to advise clients whose matters cross state lines. Her background includes public sector work and years in private practice, so she approaches cases from multiple perspectives. Courtroom experience, firm leadership and committee service have contributed to a practice that is grounded in litigation and client representation.
She currently practices at Ashley Stone Benedik, Lawyer at Law and handles criminal defense and related litigation matters in Florida and Louisiana.
