Bio highlights: While Erin’s day-to-day work is focused on housing and family law cases in our Central Carolina office in Carrboro, she also manages our private attorney contracts program. She earned her JD from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1997.

Works from: Carrboro

Resident and native of: Rural Orange and Alamance counties

Fun fact: Loves trails – on foot or horseback – especially in the fall and early spring. 

Bio highlights: Lauren Ashley joined Legal Aid of NC as an attorney on the Pro Bono Programs team in 2025. Based in our Asheville office, she focuses on coordinating pro bono services for survivors of Tropical Storm Helene and supports our statewide heir property work.

Before joining Legal Aid, Lauren Ashley practiced civil litigation in Atlanta and later focused on real estate and estate planning after moving to Asheville in 2019. Though originally from Georgia, she now considers the mountains home and is deeply committed to serving communities across WNC and expanding access to justice for all North Carolinians.

Lauren Ashley is an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the Buncombe County Bar, where she serves on the Pro Bono Committee. She is also an officer of the WNC Chapter of the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys.

Works from: Asheville

Resident of: Asheville

Native of: Augusta, GA

Fun fact: I love fly fishing! I got into it a few years ago when I bought a guided trip for me and my husband. I ended up catching the first fish – and the most fish! – and I’ve been “hooked” ever since!

Bio highlights: Marquita Pittman became the Raleigh Community Engagement Manager at Legal Aid of North Carolina in 2025. Her role includes serving as a supervising attorney on our Pro Bono Programs team, where she oversees pro bono efforts in the Raleigh area. Marquita joined Legal Aid NC in 2019, serving as a domestic violence staff attorney in our Raleigh field office until assuming her new role as Community Engagement Manager. Marquita received her JD from Cooley Law School in Michigan and her bachelor’s in political science from Shaw University in Raleigh.

Works from: Raleigh

Resident of: Raleigh

Native of: Chicago, IL

Fun fact: One of my favorite things to do is to travel. My goal is to visit everywhere!