New Hanover County Clerk of Superior Court
Jan Kennedy, Republican incumbent
Career: Clerk of Superior Court
Education: Hoggard High School; UNCW
Q: Why are you seeking to become New Hanover County’s Clerk of Courts?
A: I first sought the office of clerk of superior court 16 years ago because I fell in love with public service and the precision of our legal system. Having started my career as a deputy clerk in 1993 and working through every part of the office, I saw firsthand how a well-run courthouse directly protects the rights, properties, and freedoms of our citizens. I ran for clerk because I knew that New Hanover County deserved a leader who possessed deep, hands-on experience in every single division, rather than a political figurehead learning on the job.
Today, I am seeking reelection because our court system is in the middle of its most critical historical transition and steady, experienced leadership has never mattered more. Having successfully pioneered our county through the monumental statewide launch of the digital eCourts platform, my work is not finished. I want to continue leveraging my 33 years of institutional knowledge to fully optimize these modern digital tools, and continue to ensure that our courthouse remains fair, accessible and completely transparent.
I am running to protect trusted, collaborative partnerships I have built with our judges, sheriff, and district attorney — partnerships that keep our community safe and our cases moving without bureaucratic backlogs. My heart remains entirely in this courthouse, and I am asking for your vote to keep our justice system stable, secure, and working efficiently for every single citizen.
Q: What is your top campaign priority; why?
A: My top campaign priority is ensuring courthouse stability through the absolute mastery and optimization of our new Odyssey/Enterprise Justice eCourts system. When I first sought the office of clerk of superior court, I did so because I believed that New Hanover County deserved an administrator who understood the building from the inside out. Having started my career at the entry level in 1993 and working my way up, I wanted to ensure that the mechanics of justice- estates, criminal records, civil filings, and juvenile matters were managed with legal and financial precision.
Today, my priority has evolved because our legal infrastructure has experienced its biggest technological shift in North Carolina history. My top priority now is translating that digital foundation into total operational efficiency. I am focused on continuously refining our workflows alongside our partners in all the judicial system.
At the same time, I am focusing heavily on localized, vulnerable customer service. For example, I recently partnered with local advocacy groups to pioneer a secure, online path for domestic violence survivors to file for protective orders safely and swiftly.
The role of clerk is far too complex for on-the-job training. My top priority is to use my decades of institutional knowledge to continue to anchor this courthouse, protect the public, and ensure New Hanover County remains the gold standard for a modern, efficient digital court system.
Q: What is the biggest challenge facing the office currently, and what steps will you take to help correct it?
A: The single biggest challenge facing our office right now is managing the long-term, systemic transition into the digital age while ensuring our day-to-day operations remain seamlessly efficient. Moving an entire county from traditional paper records to the online-based eCourts platform is an incredible milestone, but it also creates intense logistical hurdles. It strains office workflow, demands continuous adjustment from deputy and assistant clerks, and leaves self- represented citizens vulnerable to technological confusion.
An overhaul of this magnitude requires a clerk who understands how to manage the human factor. To protect our community and ensure our courthouse functions smoothly, I am actively taking steps to correct these transitional friction points.
My staff are continuing their training. I do not view the integration into eCourts as a one-time class. With the help from the Administrative Office of the Courts, we are continuing our training through internal classes. This helps to ensure that all clerk staff stay updated on all new processes involving Odyssey/Enterprise Justice
I continue to maintain direct, open lines of communication with our Judges, our Sheriff’s Department, our District Attorney and all other judicial partners to ensure that we constantly continue the flow of service to the public that they have become accustomed to over the years in New Hanover County.
A technological advancement of this magnitude cannot be handled with on-the-job training. My 33 years of local courthouse experience provide the steady foundation and proven leadership needed to continue to guide New Hanover County cleanly through this digital evolution.
Q: While state law requires providing certain court records to the public, why is this important, and how will you ensure those records are returned in a timely manner?
A: Public access to court records is a cornerstone of our legal system, serving as a vital check on government power and a guarantor of constitutional due process.
When the public can openly inspect court filings, it builds confidence in the integrity and fairness of our judiciary. Accountability is impossible without transparency. As your incumbent clerk of superior court, I have always prioritized my statutory duty to maintain and deliver these records accurately and without delay. Rather than relying on the vague legal phrase ‘as promptly as possible’, my administration ensures timely fulfillment through a precise, established workflow.
By treating public records access as both a legal mandate and a priority of public service, my office continues to deliver a fair, transparent, and highly efficient court system for our community.
Q: How do you view the rollout and continuation of the state’s use of eCourts?
A: The statewide rollout of eCourts represents the most significant modernization project in North Carolina judicial history, completely transforming our court system from centuries of paper to a unified, digital system. I view the rollout as a necessary evolution for equal access to justice, but also one that demanded proactive, steady leadership. A multi-million-dollar technology transition is never flawless; it comes with structural hurdles, workflow changes, and a steep learning curve for staff, attorneys, and self-represented citizens alike. However, instead of pushing back against the change, my office embraced it as pioneers. We worked tirelessly to iron out any early glitches that arose and to train personnel.
Now that Odyssey/Enterprise Justice has successfully expanded to all 100 North Carolina counties, the continuation of eCourts is about optimization and security.
Q: A clerical error can create severe risk, whether it’s wrongful detention or delayed release. What quality-control measures will you put in place to eliminate mistakes?
A: A clerical error in our justice system isn’t just an administrative mistake; it can be a direct violation of a citizen’s constitutional liberty. Whether it is wrongful detention or a delayed release from jail, the stakes are unacceptably high. Preventing these risks requires an experienced, steady administrator who understands that there is zero margin for error when handling human freedom.
Over my 33 years of service in the New Hanover County courthouse, including 16 years as your elected clerk, I have dedicated my career to maintaining a strict standard of accuracy.
With the implementation of eCourts, it has allowed me to utilize the system’s automated tracking and reports to help eliminate mistakes.
The New Hanover County Clerk’s office continues to train and further their education so that we can ensure the efficiency of our clerical data that New Hanover County residents have become accustomed to over the years. Protecting individual rights requires a leader who knows the system inside and out. My proven record of successfully managing our court records ensures our courthouse remains fair, legally precise, and strictly accountable to the community and the public we serve.
Q: Navigating the legal system can be overwhelming, especially if people aren’t hiring an attorney. What will you bring to the office to help the community maneuver filings?
A: Navigating the court system can be incredibly overwhelming for self-represented citizens, which is why having an experienced, knowledgeable administrator at the helm is vital. First and foremost, it is a strict statutory boundary that neither the clerk of superior court nor any member of the clerk’s staff is permitted to give legal advice. Doing this violates state law and compromises the neutrality of our justice system. Our role is strictly procedural; we are here to guide the citizens on how to file.
The New Hanover County Clerk’s office is staffed with experienced and knowledgeable staff who know exactly how to do this. They are trained in how to help citizens navigate what can be a very difficult and confusing system. It is in “our” nature to help citizens. It’s what we do.
I continuously train my staff to be highly responsive and informative within our lawful boundaries.
We focus on providing clear and precise procedural packets, checklists, and fee schedules so that the public never feels left in the dark. With experience comes knowledge. My staff has the knowledge to relay to the citizens what resources are available to them. We can also connect people with appropriate resources, such as Legal Aid and other community organizations, when they need legal guidance that our office cannot provide.
For me it is about making sure that every person who walks through our doors is treated with respect and knows that they have a place to turn to for information. By understanding the immense weight of these responsibilities, voters can see why my 33 years of service and 16 years as your elected clerk are so critical. I treat this position not as a job, but as a profound legal and financial duty to protect every family in New Hanover County.
Q: How do you envision collaboration between multiple systems and parties — judges, DA, civil, pro se litigants, community partners — in the courthouse? What steps would you take to strengthen court processes?
A: Collaboration is not just an administrative goal; it is the engine that keeps our entire justice system moving forward. The clerk’s office is the central hub of the courthouse, connecting judges, the district attorney, law enforcement, private attorneys, and self-represented litigants. If these partners operate in isolated silos, the entire system slows down, creating frustrating backlogs for our citizens. I view the clerk as the critical bridge that binds these systems together. My 33 years of dedication to New Hanover County has been defined by building deep, trusted partnerships across every division of our justice system. I am incredibly proud that my collaborative approach and proven leadership have earned me the formal endorsement of our elected district attorney, our sheriff, and several of our judges. These endorsements reflect a mutual trust built on decades of shared public service and operational success.
I will continue to build on the many years of public service and dedication that I have shown to ensure that all parties continue to work together seamlessly. This constant collaboration with all judicial and community partners will help to strengthen all court processes.
Courthouse efficiency requires trusted, proven relationships, not on-the-job training. My strong partnership with our county’s top legal officials ensures that New Hanover County remains an integrated, fair, and highly effective system for everyone.
Q: The office is partisan, but what will you do to ensure politics stay out of the profession and its operations?
A: While the clerk of superior court is a partisan elected office, the operations of the clerk’s office itself must never be partisan. I have always been proud that I have “kept politics out of the courthouse.” I feel very strongly about this. We serve all citizens, not a party. The law does not have a political party, and the courthouse belongs to every single citizen of New Hanover County, regardless of their political beliefs. My constitutional duty is to serve the law and the public, not a political platform.
As your incumbent clerk, I have spent my tenure ensuring our day-to-day courthouse operations remain strictly independent, professional, and insulated from outside political influence.
Throughout my tenure I have enforced several non-negotiable principles:
Merit-Based, Professional Hiring: Employment and advancement within my office are strictly based on qualifications, legal competence, and dedication to public service. I hire and retain skilled professionals, not political loyalists.
Uniform Customer Service: Every individual who walks up to our service counters, whether they are a private citizen filing a small claim, a journalist requesting records, or an attorney handling a major case, receives the exact same high standard of professional, neutral, and courteous assistance.
Strict Operational Neutrality: Our job is to execute the statutory mandates of the North Carolina General Statues and support our judges impartially. We administer court files, manage trust funds, and process estate matters with mathematical and legal precision, leaving zero room for personal or political bias.
The voters choose a candidate on a partisan ballot, but they expect an administrator who runs a fair, unbiased, and professional courthouse. My proven track record ensures our court system remains a neutral ground focused strictly on efficiency, transparency, and equal justice under the law.
Q: What is one thing you wish the public knew about the role of this office?
A: The one thing I deeply wish the public understood is just how expansive and high stakes the role of the clerk of superior court truly is. Many people understandably assume the clerk simply files paperwork, manages courtroom clerks, or administers jury duty. In reality, the clerk is a unique constitutional officer who operates as a comptroller, administrator, record keeper and judge of probate all at once.
As a comptroller the clerk is responsible for overseeing millions of dollars. That includes everything from traffic citations and court fees to civil filing fees and other funds that come through the court system. I have a bookkeeping department that helps manage these funds, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
As an administrator the clerk of superior court is essentially the general manager of the courthouse. We oversee the building and the day-to-day operations. The courthouse does not belong to the clerk of court, but we are responsible for managing it.
As the record keeper, the clerk’s office is where the court’s records begin. A citation from a law enforcement officer ... a civil lawsuit ... a divorce filing … a small claims case…
These documents and so many more come through the clerk’s office. We are responsible for making sure those records are handled accurately, efficiently and properly because the court cannot function without accurate records.
As a judge of probate, the clerk of superior court has exclusive jurisdiction over probate matters. That includes estates, guardianships, adoptions, foreclosures, incompetency proceedings, name changes, petitions for partitions, and many other important matters. These are real people, real families, real situations — and they come to the clerk’s office looking for someone who understands the law, understands the process, and understands the responsibility that comes with the job.
So, when you think about the clerk of superior court, remember the four hats: Comptroller, record keeper, administrator, and probate judge.
It is far more than a title. It is a position of trust, responsibility, and service to our community.
After 16 years as your clerk of superior court, I know what this job requires and I know how important it is to get it right.