WSJ names Ashby Jones its new legal editor

Wall Street Journal U.S. editor Glenn Hall sent out the following announcement on Friday afternoon:

I’m thrilled to announce that Ashby Jones is the new law chief.

Ashby is uniquely qualified for the role. He practiced law before shifting to journalism, which, of course, is a notch higher on the public opinion scale. He also knows the WSJ law team extremely well, having served as deputy chief since 2013.

During his 11-year tenure at WSJ, Ashby has produced many revealing stories, including in recent months a series about trends in gun laws, a very well-read piece about the legal battle brewing over the right price for a human egg, and he coauthored a leder on abuses plaguing the country’s guardianship system.

Prior to being promoted to deputy chief, Ashby was the go-to reporter for breaking news when he served as national legal affairs reporter from 2011 to 2013 and was the chief writer of the Law Blog for two years before that, producing more than 4,000 posts. Ashby joined the Journal as an editor in 2005 from The Deal, where he covered bankruptcy and real estate.

Before entering journalism, Ashby — who grew up in Orange County, California, in the town of Tustin  (best known for having not one, but two, In-N-Out Burger outlets) — worked as a litigator at a large law firm and clerked for a federal judge.

His law degree is from the University of Michigan Law School, and his bachelor’s degree is in English from Haverford College, which helps explain his unique talent for translating legalese into powerful prose.

When he’s not thinking or writing about the law, Ashby roots for the LA Angels of Anaheim (which old-timers will always know as the California Angels) – and, inexplicably, the Cleveland Browns.

Ashby enjoys a good suit, (two) strong cups of coffee every morning, and has an enviable collection of Supreme Court Justices bobbleheads.

Please join me in congratulating Ashby on his promotion.