Jennifer Wells

Jennifer "Jenny" Wells was appointed as a District Court Judge for Judicial District 1 by Governor Josh Stein in March 2025, filling a vacancy left by a retiring judge. Prior to her appointment, she served as an Assistant Public Defender in the same district for 11 years. Wells was born in Elizabeth City and raised in Kitty Hawk. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University and her Juris Doctor from Campbell University School of Law. During her time at Tulane, she attended Duke University for a semester due to Hurricane Katrina. Before law school, she worked in the mental health field for three years.