Lesley Brooks Wells (born October 6, 1937) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Education Wells earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Chatham College (now Chatham University) in 1959 and a Juris Doctor 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. Career 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). Judicial service After more than a decade as a Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas judge (1983–1994), President Bill Clinton nominated her on November 19, 1993, for a judgeship vacated by John Michael Manos. She was confirmed by the Senate on February 10, 1994, and received her commission the following day. Twelve years later, on February 14, 2006 she became a senior judge. She retired from active service on October 2, 2015. Personal Wells was married to the late Charles F. Clarke, a partner in the multinational law firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey. He died in January 2014. References External links 1937 births Living people Chatham University alumni Cleveland–Marshall College of Law alumni Cleveland State University faculty Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Ohio state court judges People from Muskegon, Michigan United States district court judges appointed by Bill Clinton 20th-century American judges 20th-century American women judges 21st-century American women judges 21st-century American judges