Alumni Profile – Elise Ashley: Leading with Purpose

Elise Ashley currently serves as Counsel at American Transmission Company (ATC), where she leads commercial contract negotiations and advises internal business teams on contract strategy, risk management, and contract interpretation. Elise is also an active member of ATC’s Inclusion and Belonging Committee, where she helps advance initiatives that foster equity, inclusion, and a culture of belonging across the organization.

Prior to joining ATC, Elise was a Commercial Litigation Associate at Quarles & Brady LLP, where she represented clients in a wide range of commercial and civil litigation matters.

Elise is a proud member of the Wisconsin African American Lawyers Association and an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. In March 2025, she was inducted into the 2025 UNCF Masterminds class in recognition of her leadership and commitment to service.

A Milwaukee native, Elise holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice and a Juris Doctorate (JD) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During law school, she served as the 1L Representative and later Co-Executive Director of the Black Law Students Association. She was also the Senior Articles Editor for the Wisconsin Law Review, where her published Comment, Ignoring the Cries of Black Mamas: Looking Beyond Tort Law to Ensure that Black Mothers Are Heard During Childbirth, examined legal and systemic barriers affecting Black maternal health.

In addition, Elise served on the Moot Court Board, where she was recognized as a Top 8 Oralist, and provided legal representation to individuals facing eviction as a Student Associate in the Eviction Defense Clinic.

Elise is especially proud to be a seven-year recipient of the Dr. Terence N. Thomas Scholarship Fund. She credits the Fund’s unwavering support as instrumental to both her educational journey and her continued professional success, and she remains deeply grateful for the opportunities it has made possible.