By Lindsey M. Welfley

For someone who swore she’d never be a family law practitioner, Ashley Marelius sure set herself apart as an extraordinary young Idaho lawyer practicing exclusively that. Ashley was born and raised in Olympia, Washington, and for as long as she can remember, being an attorney was career goal number one. Ashley completed her undergraduate degree at Central Washington University with a major in law/justice and sociology with a minor in psychology. She moved to Boise for law school and graduated from Concordia University School of Law in 2016, being admitted to the Idaho State Bar that same year.

Law school was far from easy for Ashley as it was extremely difficult balancing the workload and the necessity to work to support herself. She is, perhaps surprisingly, proud of the fact that she actually failed out of her first term. Ashley promised the four women who sat on the appeal panel – Cathy Silak, Tenielle Fordyce-Ruff, Jodi Nafzger, and Anne Comstock – that if reaccepted, she would make them proud. With support from Rebecca Nickell and their weekly meetings, Ashley survived law school. Ashley remains forever grateful to these women for believing in her.

While still in law school, Ashley participated in the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association (“ITLA”) Street Law Clinic and met Sean Breen during a pro bono opportunity on which they collaborated. After the case concluded, Ashley joked with Sean that if he were ever looking to hire an associate, she’d be interested. Much to her delight, she received a call two weeks later from Sean asking her to come in for an interview and to meet with the other partners in the firm. Ashley was hired in 2014 and has been with the firm ever since.

Ashley practices exclusively family law since being admitted to the Bar in 2016, handling mostly divorces and child custody with an emphasis on working with victims of domestic violence. Two years ago, she replaced two outgoing partners, Mark Manweiler, and Gary Davis, making her the newest partner of the firm now known as Breen, Ball & Marelius, PLLC. Since then, Ashley has been acting as Managing Partner, handling all the ins and outs of the firm’s business operations. When reminiscing on those early years, Ashley says she is forever indebted to both the past and current partners at her firm for being willing to take a chance on her – “I don’t know where I would be otherwise.”

In addition to her busy professional life, Ashley is heavily involved in several community programs. Since 2011, she has worked with the Boise Bully Breed Rescue as their Foster and Adoption Coordinator and board member. Ashley spends a great deal of time finding suitable, loving homes for these otherwise neglected animals. She continues to work with the ITLA Street Law Clinic and with the Court Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”) program, representing guardians ad litem in child protection proceedings. Ashley and her partner, Matt, are also licensed foster parents and have assisted in several child placements over the last several years.

Ashley has had several individuals to whom she’s looked for guidance, support, and encouragement throughout her life. In her personal life, she names her sister, Dena, at the top of the list. After the loss of both parents as a teenager, Dena assumed the caretaker role of Ashley. “I was a very difficult teenager and other than Dena, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today.”

In her professional life, Ashley again mentions how grateful she is for the past (Mark Manweiler and Gary Davis) and present partners (Sean Breen and Jim Ball) in her firm for being so supportive of her law career. She also names the women at Bjorkman, Dempsey, Foster LLC – particularly Alyson Foster and Jennifer Dempsey. Ashley is thankful for the support of strong female voices in this profession. She notes that these women have treated her with kindness and generosity, matched with zero judgment.

Ashley is also so thankful for her rockstar right hand, Ruby, for all the support, laughs, and eye rolls, her partner, Matt, for showing her what a supportive relationship should be like, her girlfriends, Lyndsey, Paige, and Hannah who have supported her through schooling and beyond, and the family law judges for all the guidance and kindness. Finally, she is thankful for the people who do not practice the motto of “being kind” and still throw difficult curve balls toward young attorneys. Though it is hard for her to thank them, she thinks it is important for young attorneys to learn first-hand how they don’t want to practice and how small acts can have big impacts.

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