Judge Jara Howard was elected to the Sixth Family Court Circuit (Cabell County) in 2016 and re-elected in 2024.

She is a native of Cabell County. She graduated from Marshall University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice in 1991 and earned her Juris Doctor from Ohio Northern University College of Law in 1994.

She previously served as a Child Support Enforcement Attorney with the West Virginia Bureau of Child Support Enforcement from 1994 to 1997. From March 1997 through December 2016, she served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Cabell County, where she prosecuted thousands of criminal cases and gained extensive experience in criminal law and courtroom litigation.

She is a member of the GFWC Women's Club of Huntington and Huntington Southside Garden Club. In her spare time, she is actively involved with local animal rescue organizations, volunteering as a foster caregiver for dogs and assisting with their care and placement through area rescue groups and the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter.

She resides in Huntington. Her son is a disabled veteran who served with the 82^nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.