Ashanti Lilley Pounds is the managing partner of The Law Office of Ashanti A. Lilley LLC in downtown Augusta. She also serves as a Board Member for the Downtown Development Authority of Augusta.

When I first decided to go out in private practice as an attorney in 2017, I didn’t too much consider location. I gladly accepted office space on 4th Street and proudly hung my shingle. I knew I wanted to have as little overhead as possible and I felt lucky to have been offered an office space by another attorney who had been practicing for many years in the area. My first office was in a building that I’m sure at some point had been a house. It had a driveway, a kitchen and two other veteran attorneys who helped me figure out how to navigate the solo practitioner world.

In 2020, I decided to move into my own space. After three years of successfully navigating both the downtown area and the solo practitioner world, I knew I both wanted and needed to stay in the area. I moved my office to a street well known in the community—James Brown Boulevard. I am a couple blocks down from the Augusta Judicial Center and John H. Ruffin Courthouse and only a block from the Augusta library. I’m sandwiched between the Bankruptcy Trustee and the federal courthouse. It’s the perfect location.

I love being located in downtown Augusta. I am only a couple of blocks from Broad Street and all it has to offer. On my lunch break, if I’m not hungry, I am able to shoot over to a number of storefronts to shop. There’s a beauty supply store downtown where I can buy products for my hair or last minute beauty items I may need. Other times I meet colleagues, friends, my husband or my staff at one of the many restaurants, where we enjoy talking about work, events happening around town and other facets of everyday life while eating lunch or dinner. There are salons where I can quickly go for a fresh hairdo after work. Downtown Augusta has so many different activities and opportunities to offer while providing a central location to eat, shop, work and have fun.

I’ve met many diverse people walking around downtown after work. Med students, tattoo artists, young professionals, doctors, clothing store owners, artists and more can be found enjoying the downtown Augusta area. I often see families enjoying dinner outside at tables lined up on the sidewalks in front of restaurants. I’ve noticed new ventures are opening up monthly and it’s a breath of fresh air to see downtown Augusta thriving after the pandemic. It’s a wonderful time for small businesses and the people of this city to flourish in downtown Augusta.