John N. Ellem is a life-long resident of Wood County, West Virginia. He received his
undergraduate degree in Economics from Wheeling Jesuit University (magna cum laude) and his
law degree from the WVU College of Law in 1992. In July of 2000, after working 8 years as a
litigation associate for a mid-sized firm, he opened Ellem Law Office, PLLC where his focus has
been representing consumers in WV and OH in a variety of matters including lemon law, debt
collection abuse, fair credit reporting violations, solar panel fraud as well as personal injury. He
also offers governmental relations services and is involved in human rights work as President of
Human Rights for Kids.
Mr. Ellem served 14 years (2001-2014) as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates
representing the 10th District. During his career in the Legislature, he served as Minority
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and served on the Constitutional Revisions and
Natural Resources Committees. He was a member of the Legislature’s Joint Commission on
Special Investigations and served on the House Committee on Redistricting. Prior to becoming a
legislator, Mr. Ellem served as a member of the WV Ethics Commission charged with
administration and enforcement of the WV Ethics Act.
Mr. Ellem is a member of the West Virginia and Ohio State Bar, the West Virginia Association
for Justice, and the National Association of Consumer Advocates. He has served on the boards of
the Wood County Senior Citizens Assoc., the ARC of the Mid-Ohio Valley and Fourth Circuit
Public Defender Corporation.
Along with his wife Sherry and daughter Sara, he enjoys skiing, hiking, and fly-fishing. He
enjoys an active yoga practice and is a registered yoga teacher (RYT) through Yoga Alliance. He
currently teaches yoga at the Parkersburg YMCA in Parkersburg, WV and as a sub at various
locations in the area and in Snowshoe, WV. He taught prison yoga prior to the Covid pandemic.
