Hon. Ellen R. Jessen is a judge for the 12th Judicial District Court of New Mexico in Otero County. She was appointed to the bench by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2020.
The 12th Judicial District includes Otero and Lincoln Counties.
Prior to her appointment, Jessen had served for several years as a domestic violence hearing officer for the 12th Judicial District Court. Her legal career also includes time as a private practice attorney and an assistant district attorney. In private practice, she handled domestic relations and civil law cases, including divorce, custody, child support, grandparent visitation, kinship guardianship, probate, contracts, and property matters and served as a contract attorney for COPE, where she represented individuals in domestic violence cases in accordance to the Family Violence Protection Act.
Jessen received a B.S. in business administration from Wheeling Jesuit University. She went on to complete a J.D. at the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 1990. While a law student, Jessen sat as Editorial Assistant on the Law Review.
Jessen also completed courses at the University of New Mexico Judicial Education Center and the National Judicial College.
She was admitted to practice in New Mexico (2008), the District of Columbia (1993), and Maryland (1990).
Jessen considers herself a constitutional conservative and believes that family matters and that justice must be timely. She and her husband, Eric, a retired member of the United States Air Force, reside in Otero County. They enjoy hiking, gardening, and spending time with their family and friends.