[3] She began her legal career as a law clerk to Judge John C. Martin of the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

From 1997 to 2001, she served as an attorney with the Appellate Section of the Tax Division at the United States Department of Justice.

From 2008 to 2011, she served as a member of the Tax Controversy and Litigation Group at the law firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP in Washington D.C. From 2011 to 2014, she served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Appellate and Review in the Tax Division at the United States Department of Justice.

[3][4] From June 16, 2014, to December 2014 she served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice.

[3][4] On January 15, 2014, Ashford testified before the Senate Finance Committee "that through her past experiences she has "amassed the temperament and skills to be an independent arbiter," and that if confirmed, she would resolve tax controversies "fairly, impartially and expeditiously.