05/21/2026
Scheef & Stone, L.L.P. is pleased to welcome Ashley Souza as part of the firm’s 2026 Summer Law Clerk class.
Ashley is a J.D. candidate at SMU Dedman School of Law, where she is involved in the Corporate Law Association, Women in Law, and the Dallas Bar Association. She also earned “Best Advocate” honors in SMU’s Jackson Walker 1L Oral Argument Competition, recognizing her strong advocacy and oral argument skills early in law school.
Before joining Scheef & Stone, L.L.P., Ashley gained in-house legal experience with AZT Corporation – Tabani Group, a commercial real estate development company, where she worked on matters involving real estate transactions, due diligence, lease review, acquisitions and dispositions, title and survey review, and transactional documentation. Her experience has included supporting attorneys with legal research, drafting notices and estoppel certificates, preparing closing materials, and assisting with compliance-related matters tied to commercial real estate transactions.
Ashley earned her Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communication, magna cm laude, from Baylor University, where she also served in leadership roles through the Portuguese Student Association and Baylor’s Pre-Law Society.
She shared that her interest in law first began through her family’s experiences with immigration attorneys, as her father’s side of the family is from Brazil. Watching the impact attorneys had on families navigating important life matters sparked her early interest in the profession and inspired her to continue exploring different areas of law.
Outside of law school, Ashley enjoys staying active through soccer, volleyball, and pickleball, which she says are some of her favorite ways to unwind and connect with others outside of academics.
Ashley has also remained involved in community-focused initiatives, including volunteer work with Allies Against Slavery, supporting survivor-focused advocacy efforts, as well as volunteer service with the North Texas Food Bank.
During her time at Scheef & Stone, L.L.P., Ashley hopes to gain exposure to a wide range of practice areas while also learning more about courtroom proceedings and how legal strategy operates in practice.
We’re glad to have Ashley with us this summer and look forward to the contributions she will make to the firm and its clients.