Ashley Halfman Biography

Ashley Ann Halfman is an American attorney and beauty pageant titleholder from Birmingham, Alabama, who was named Miss Alabama 1998. In August 2013, Halfman was made a partner in the Miller & Martin law firm.

Early life and education

Halfman's father, Timothy, is president of Security Engineers, Inc. Her mother, Jeanne, is a homemaker. Halfman describes herself as an avid reader, especially of science fiction novels.

Halfman is a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School in Vestavia Hills, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Birmingham-Southern College, graduating cum laude in 1997.

Pageant career

Halfman was chosen first as Jefferson County's then Alabama's Junior Miss for 1993. She placed sixth at that year's national competition and won a $1,000 scholarship.

Halfman was crowned Miss Alabama Music Hall of Fame in July 1995 and competed in the 1996 Miss Alabama pageant. She placed third in the state competition.

In her fourth attempt at the Miss Alabama title, Halfman entered the 1998 Miss Alabama pageant as Miss Cullman Area 1998. She participated in the traditional "Show Us Your Shoes" parade and other pageant festivities. Her preliminary competition talent for Miss Alabama was performing ballet en pointe to the song "Everybody Says Don't" from the Stephen Sondheim musical Anyone Can Whistle. Halfman won the competition on Saturday, June 20, 1998, when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Alabama titleholder Beth Stomps.

As Miss Alabama, Halfman's activities included public appearances across the state of Alabama. In August 1998, She was commended by the Alabama State Department of Education for her years of service establishing mentoring programs in Alabama's schools.

Halfman was Alabama's representative at the Miss America 1999 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Her competition talent was performing ballet en pointe. Her platform, "Keeping America's Promise", focused on youth mentoring. She was not one of the finalists for the title. Her reign as Miss Alabama continued until Julie Smith was crowned on June 19, 1999.

Law career

Halfman earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law, graduating cum laude in 2002. Halfman is a member of the Alabama State Bar, State Bar of Georgia, and the District of Columbia Bar.

For five years, Halfman worked in the mergers and acquisitions and capital markets groups of Jones Day, working in the law firm's Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., offices. In 2007, she relocated to Atlanta full-time to practice with the law firm of Hartman, Simon, Spielman & Wood. She then joined the Miller & Martin law firm in their Atlanta offices. Halfman was elevated to partner at Miller & Martin in August 2013.