Lesley B. Wells

Lesley Brooks Wells (b. 1937 in Muskegon, Michigan) was appointed as a federal judge in 1994 and served as a senior judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio from February 2006 until her retirement in February 2007. [ [http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2007/03/us_senate_approves_lioi_to_suc.html Stephen Koff, "U.S. Senate approves Lioi to succeed Brooks Wells on bench"] , "Cleveland Plain Dealer," March 9, 2007]

Wells earned a B.A. from Chatham College (now Chatham University) in 1959 and a Juris Doctor degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University in 1974. She was employed as a federal court intern through the Women's Law Fund from 1973 to 1974. [http://www.fjc.gov/servlet/tGetInfo?jid=2544 Federal Judiciary History] ; retrieved 2008-06-17]

Wells maintained a private law practice for six years (1975-1978 and 1980-1983) in Cleveland, interrupted by two years (1979-1980) as director of the ABAR III Civil Rights Litigation Support Center at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She was adjunct professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1980-1981) and adjunct assistant professor, College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University (1980-1983 and 1990-1992).

After more than a decade as a Court of Common Pleas judge in Cuyahoga County, Ohio (1983-1994), former U.S. President Bill Clinton nominated her on November 19, 1993, for a judgeship vacated by John M. Manos. She was confirmed by the Senate on February 10, 1994, and received her commission the following day. Twelve years later (February 14, 2006) she became a senior judge.

Wells is married to Charles F. Clarke, a partner in the multinational law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey.

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