Influential Woman · Executive Assistant Law
Ashley Williams
Legal Executive Assistant, five partners at a global law firm
West Covina, CA
Her Story
About Ashley
My journey in law began over 25 years ago when a friend asked me to be a receptionist at their law firm. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer when I was younger, but I didn't want any debt, so I didn't go to law school. Instead, I started answering phones for 306 attorneys, where the standard was that the phone couldn't ring more than 3 times. I learned the ins and outs of working at a law firm just by being the receptionist, and I started at the bottom and gradually worked my way up to the top. Throughout my career, I've done litigation, personal injury, and everything in between. Right now, I'm primarily in healthcare and private equity and transactions. I currently work for a global law firm with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York, Milan, London, and other locations. I'm assigned to 5 partners, including the managing partner of the law firm and 4 other partners who work in healthcare. For my main attorney, I handle all of her client communications regarding billing, send all bills for clients, do all collections, and work directly with clients to get timekeepers approved on matters that may have 115 timekeepers. I personally book all of her travel, hotels, and car services. I handle anything related to business development, schedule food reservations when clients visit the office, take care of their transportation, and manage the meetings. I audit and send out her communications, open all matters for her, and handle audit requests. Any partner that visits our office usually wants to deal with me directly based on the type of service they receive. I'm now branching out and starting an executive assistant academy where I will offer services to corporations and organizations, teaching people how to be an executive assistant, what things they should be doing, anticipating, and looking for. I also founded the Allen Project, a nonprofit organization that offers transitional housing to single women with children.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ashley
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my grandmother. She turned 85 on March 26th, and she and I are really close. I didn't know it until probably maybe 10 years ago, but she was an executive assistant too. I had no idea. I knew that she had a job and worked in a warehouse, but I had no idea that she was an executive assistant either. That's really what she did for her whole career. She literally retired being an executive assistant. When I found that out, I said, wow, that's why you're so organized. That's why I'm organized. It all made sense, and it was mind-blowing. I'm definitely thankful that I had that.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is: Ashley, you have to stop being so hard on yourself. I'm very hard on myself. I take things to heart, and if something doesn't go well, I take it very seriously, especially when I'm providing a service to my clients. My current manager always tells me, Ashley, you have to stop being so hard on yourself.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you don't have a heart for service, this isn't the industry for you. Being an executive assistant is serving someone, and it takes a special person to be able to serve others, not only when you're on the job, but when you're off the job too. For me, I serve in the law firm capacity, I feed the homeless on the second Saturday of every month helping prepare meals, because I love service. My job is easy for me because I don't have a problem serving - that's just what I do. That's just been my love. It's the anticipation of those needs as well, because you have to anticipate what an attorney needs. That's the whole thing about being an assistant to someone. You anticipate their needs, their wants, before they know their needs and wants.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is the most important value to me. I've always told people, you don't have anything else in life, all you have is your word and your integrity. If you told someone you're gonna do something, you have to do it. If you can't do it, it's your responsibility to follow up with that person and let them know you can't do it. But your integrity is everything.
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