Ashley Kerr grew up in Columbia and has been a lifelong resident of South Carolina. She is a 2010 graduate of Princeton University, where she majored in Political Science. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. As a law student, she worked as an intern for the executive level of the South Carolina state government. Additionally, she was appointed to the Dean's Leadership Advisory Board and was awarded the title of the most outstanding editor for the Journal of Law and Education. She graduated early from the University of South Carolina School of Law in December 2012. After law school, she successfully passed the Bar examination and was admitted to the South Carolina Bar in May 2013.