Jennifer Wells has handled criminal cases on all levels in both South and North Carolina for over 20 years. Jennifer has also written appellate briefs and argued before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. She regularly teaches at seminars on criminal law across South Carolina.
Jennifer graduated from Hollins College in 1996 with a B.A. in English. While she was there, she worked for then Chief of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, William W. Wilkins, Jr. She graduated with Honors and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Jennifer then attended the University of South Carolina School of Law and graduated in 2001. She went to work for the Honorable Trey Gowdy, who was then the solicitor of the Seventh Judicial District, which covers Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. Her family relocated to North Carolina, where she was a state prosecutor for a year and then served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina. As a federal prosecutor, Jennifer handled complex federal investigations into international drug trafficking organizations and money laundering operations. She returned home to South Carolina in 2016 and was tapped by Solicitor Barry Barnette to run his multi-jurisdictional domestic violence initiative. She also handled federal gun prosecutions as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the District of South Carolina. She won the John Justice Community Leadership Award in 2017. During her time as a prosecutor, Jennifer tried hundreds of cases to verdict, including complex federal drug cases, money laundering, murder, attempted murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child pornography, and DUI.
“Giving people a voice is the most important part of being a lawyer to me,” Jennifer says. “People often feel like they get lost in the legal system. I work hard to make sure our clients have a voice in the process and that that voice is heard.”
Jennifer was raised in the Upstate and has two children. Outside of work, she enjoys the outdoors. Jennifer is an avid hunter and plans most of her time off around hunting and fishing. She also runs and completed a half Ironman. Jennifer is a sports fan and can often be found cheering on her children in their high school sports or her beloved college team in all sports.
Bar Admissions
- South Carolina – 2001
- North Carolina – 2006
- U.S. District Court District of South Carolina
- US District Court Eastern District of North Carolina
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Education
- B.A. (English), Hollins College, Roanoke, Virginia (1996)
- J.D., University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina (2001)
Past Employment Positions
- Assistant Solicitor, Seventh Judicial Circuit, 2001 – 2006
- Assistant District Attorney, Tenth Judicial District, 2007 – 2008
- Assistant United States Attorney, Eastern District of North Carolina, 2008 – 2016
- Assistant Solicitor, Seventh Judicial Circuit, 2016 – June 2022
Professional Organizations
- Spartanburg County Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association
- South Carolina Association for Justice
- Greenville County Bar Association
- North Carolina Bar Association
- South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Association
Publications
- Domestic Violence Resource Manual – NC Conference of District Attorneys
Honors and Recognitions
- South Carolina Legal Elite, 2023-2024
Teaching Experience
- Teaches regularly for CLE’s, advocacy groups, and law enforcement trainings.