Ashley Ann Asha Ash

Ashley Ash (She/Her) is an Associate with OKT. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Windsor. She is a member of the Ontario Bar. Ashley is interested in child welfare, negotiations, and litigation. Ashley joins OKT after completing her articles as a judicial law clerk with the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto where she assisted judges in family, civil and criminal law matters.

As part of her budding practice, Ashley represents First Nations communities and supports them to exercise their inherent jurisdiction over the well-being of their children, youth, and families. She recognizes that the child welfare system continues to perpetuate colonial relations and is often largely inconsistent with First Nations people’s values and traditions. She draws from both her social work background, lived experience growing up in care, and years advocating for child welfare reform in her work to uphold her clients’ inherent rights.

Ashley has also worked at various youth serving organizations like the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, the former Ontario Child Advocate and Justice for Children and Youth. She has focused much of her scholarship and studies on child welfare law. She earned top marks in Child Welfare Law, Public Health Law, and Mental Health and the Law. She also worked as a teaching assistant for the mandatory Indigenous Legal Orders course at Windsor Law. Ashley has spoken at numerous speaking engagements to young people involved in child welfare, adoptive parents, social workers and lawyers and judges involved in child welfare.

Is UNDRIP going to bring about transformational change to the relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples? What about the federal government’s implementing legislation?