Jenna Ellis, Esq., is a journalist and constitutional law attorney who hosts “Just The Truth” TV and Podcast on Real America’s Voice News. Before that, she was often featured on Fox News and Fox Business. She is an on-air legal analyst for Moody Bible Institute Radio and is a frequent guest on Newsmax and many other media programs.
Jenna has been a contributor to the Washington Examiner, National Review, and Daily Wire, among others. She has been published in The Colorado Lawyer and authored a book titled The Legal Basis for a Moral Constitution: A Guide for Christians to Understand America’s Constitutional Crisis.
Like fellow homeschool graduate Madison Cawthorn, Jenna is a rising star in conservative American politics. She first became publicly known in 2018 when President Donald Trump mentioned her in one of his tweets. Jenna served as Trump‘s legal advisor and attorney both pre- and post-election.
Jenna is a sought-after public speaker and she regularly discusses a variety of constitutional law, religious freedom, and current events issues at various international and local conferences, universities, and churches. Jenna has also taught and led seminars at the Denver Institute for Faith & Work in Colorado.
“God has incredibly opened doors for me,” said Jenna. “I wouldn’t be here without having the foundation of homeschooling and having my parents’ mentorship in my life.
Education
Jenna was born on November 1, 1984, and raised in Colorado where she and her two brothers were homeschooled by their parents, Dave and Valerie. Homeschooled from kindergarten through grade 12, Jenna grew up attending Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) conferences and said that “CHEC played a very important supportive role and community role for my family.”
Jenna’s father wrote an article for Newsweek about the benefits that homeschooling provided for his children, particularly in the area of civics and government. He said, “homeschooling allowed them to learn all the core subjects while also having the time and flexibility to pursue their interests and actually discover civics—not just learn about it in a classroom…. Civics, as all my children know, isn’t just about answering test questions. It’s about experience and a genuine love of America.”
Jenna Ellis attended a class specifically for homeschooled students specializing in civic training, which initially provoked her fondness for law and advocacy. At age 14, Jenna interned for the Colorado lieutenant governor (the youngest intern ever in that office at that time). This opportunity helped her to know she wanted to pursue a law degree. Even though she had a calling at a young age, she had no idea what God had in store for her.
When she was 16 years old, Jenna was the victim of a sexual assault. She doesn’t like to talk about it much, but this experience reinforced her interest in law. During criminal proceedings against her assailant, Ellis found a mentor in Robert Shapiro, then the District Attorney for Boulder, Colorado. Shapiro was one of the famous lawyers – the other being Robert Kardashian – who represented O.J. Simpson in his murder trial back in the 1990s.
“I have always been interested in law, but through my interactions with Rob, I was able to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of criminal law,” said Ellis. “The impact he had on me was so great that once my case concluded, I began to volunteer for the district attorney’s office as a victim advocate.”
After graduating from high school in 2003, Jenna started attending Cedarville University, a Christian university in Cedarville, Ohio. During that time, her civil lawsuit related to the violent crime she experienced was settled. From the compensation received, she set up a financial award bearing her name that would serve as a scholarship for future law students at Cedarville who want to serve in a branch of law relating to victim advocacy or criminal prosecution. The Jenna Lynn Ellis Award is still offered at Cedarville.
In 2004, Jenna transferred from Cedarville University to Colorado State University. (Cedarville did not offer a journalism degree, which Jenna wanted to pursue.) In 2007, she graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Technical Journalism, which has served her well in media appearances and written opinion pieces. She also graduated with honors from the World Journalism Institute.
Jenna moved to Washington, D.C. and served as a White House intern in the press office for the George W. Bush administration. She went on to receive a Doctor of Law degree (Juris Doctor) from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2011. Jenna is licensed in federal practice and has appeared in litigation on behalf of the U.S. Department of State and the Department of the Navy. At only 36 years of age, she has already accomplished a lot in her career.
Career
Here are some of Jenna’s career accomplishments:
- Jenna was a contract attorney at the U.S. State Department from 2011-2012.
- From 2012-2013, she was a deputy district attorney for Colorado.
- Since 2013, Jenna has been an attorney at law for a private practice focusing on constitutional law.
- Jenna was an assistant professor of legal studies at Colorado Christian University from 2015-2018.
- From 2018-2019, Jenna was the Director of Public Policy for The James Dobson Family Institute.
- Since 2017, she has been a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential Blog.
- In November 2019, Jenna was assigned as a senior legal advisor for the Trump 2020 re-election campaign. She was also one of President Donald Trump’s personal attorneys.
- In 2020, Ellis became the special counsel for the Thomas More Society, a conservative law firm.
Jenna said, “If I had not gone through what I had, if I had not gone through every single open door that God gave to me, there is no way I could have planned that…. I learned that God doesn’t waste time, and He was preparing me at every step of the way…. It was nothing at all that I did to plan my life.”
Faith
Jenna Ellis grew up in an evangelical Christian family. Her homeschool education was based on sound doctrine and theology which fostered a love for God, an understanding of the Christian worldview, and an acceptance of the Gospel and of Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior.
Jenna said, “Homeschooling was for me the foundation of what has become an ability to speak into the evangelical Christian base about why Constitutional Law is important, and bringing these timeless truths to ultimately protect parental rights and the family.”
As a Christian, Jenna has endeavored to contribute to the biblical worldview of law, specifically Constitutional law. She believes that progressive judicial philosophy has spawned a secular culture “that lacks objective morality” and she urges Americans to “get back to being a biblically moral, upright society.” Her most requested presentations include “U.S. Constitutional Law & The Bible” and “Reclaiming the Biblical Definition of Marriage.”
In 2015, Ellis published The Legal Basis for a Moral Constitution: A Guide for Christians to Understand America’s Constitutional Crisis. The book discusses why all law is inherently moral and argues that the U.S. Constitution must only be interpreted in accordance with the Bible. John Adams, one of the foremost constitutional theorists of the founding generation, would agree. He said, “I consider a decent respect for Christianity among the best recommendations for public service” and “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Jenna’s premise states that the Founders based the Constitution on Divine Law, rather than Social Contract Theory. She wrote that the Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality did the latter, telling “the LGBT community that their homosexual lifestyle was not just legal privately, but morally validated openly through government recognition and social celebration and therefore equally as valued as heterosexual unions.”
Just the Truth
Jenna Ellis spoke at the Turning Point USA’s Young Women’s Leadership Summit held June 10-13th, 2021 in Dallas, Texas. She talked about what motivates her, the things that have influenced her path in life, and how she learned to trust God even in difficult circumstances.
Jenna shared her very personal story… it must have been difficult to stand in front of all those women and tell of her assault, but it’s such a good testimony for others to hear considering the mindset and success it led to.
I can’t find a video of it, but if you missed Jenna’s speech from the Young Women’s Leadership Summit, she re-aired it on her “Just the Truth” podcast. Her 33-minute speech starts at the 10:40 mark. Click on the link below:
Just the Truth: The Truth About Choosing God
“Take advantage of every opportunity you have to be a disciple of Christ, disciple others, and speak the truth. It doesn’t matter whether your perceived influence is small or great. We all have a story that God is writing for us, and he is going to use you in ways beyond your imagination, if you will only submit to Him and say ‘Your will, God, not mine.’”
I’m sad she was assaulted (especially since I am 16 now), but I’m so glad she managed to rise above her hardships and even use it for good!