Jennifer L. Parent is the 2025 National ABF Fellows Chair and a Patron Fellow. Jennifer is currently a Director and Chair of Business Litigation at McLane Middleton and serves on the Firm’s Management Committee. She has over twenty-nine years of experience litigating and resolving disputes for companies and business owners in a wide range of complex commercial cases, employment matters, and tax abatements. Jennifer is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized in Chambers, Benchmark’s Top 250 Women Litigators in U.S., Best Lawyers in America, and Super Lawyers in NH, and has been named by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as a Go To Business Litigation Lawyer and a Top Women of Law. Jennifer is very involved in the American Bar Association, serving as the State Delegate for New Hampshire in the House of Delegates and as Chair of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates Committee on Rules and Calendar, along with numerous other current and prior roles on other association committees. Jennifer also serves on the New Hampshire Bar Foundation Board and is a Sustaining Life Fellow.
Q: What does being an ABF Fellow mean to you?
Being an ABF Fellow is a tremendous honor. It allows me to support directly the vital, empirical research conducted by the American Bar Foundation. I believe this work is crucial for advancing our justice system and ultimately making a positive impact on people’s lives.
Q: Where do you consider your hometown and what is your favorite thing about it?
Litchfield, New Hampshire. I love that it is a small community with quintessential rural charm. It is also perfectly located: about an hour from the White Mountains, an hour from the seacoast, and an hour from Boston.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?
I went into the practice of law because I am passionate about helping people find solutions to complex problems. As a trial lawyer, I am able to work directly with clients to navigate challenging legal issues and find a path to resolution.
Q: If you hadn’t pursued a career in law, what would you have done?
I likely would have pursued a career in computer programming. As an economics major with a computer science minor, I enjoyed the challenge of coding—especially when I programmed a robot to walk down the hall and get me a soda from a vending machine! Ultimately, while I enjoyed the technical work, I discovered that I like working with and advocating for people, which is what led me to the law.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
I like to travel. I also like tending to my herb garden, grilling outside when New Hampshire’s weather allows, and spending time with my family and my cockapoo, Emma Sky.
Q: Who is your professional hero?
One of my professional heroes is my law partner and mentor, Jack Middleton. He has not only been an incredible champion for me throughout my career but has also instilled in me a fundamental value in our profession: the responsibility to give back. Jack’s unwavering commitment to our communities and to ensuring equal access to justice for everyone, especially those in need, is a constant source of inspiration.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share with us?
I thank the ABF and Fellows staff for their incredible work in advancing our mission, especially their support for our State and International Chairs. I am honored to serve as the Chair of the Fellows this year and look forward to what we will accomplish together.