Kelly joined our Office’s Clean Slate Unit in 2021 and became the Managing Attorney in 2023. Prior to coming to Clean Slate, Kelly defended parents in child dependency proceedings at East Bay Family Defenders, where she completed trials at every stage of the dependency process. Kelly was a public defender in Memphis, Tennessee for four years, where she worked on the vertical felony team, misdemeanor team, and as a supervising attorney in the newly-established Mental Health Court. The then-Chief Public Defender also informally named Kelly the “Ambassador of Fun and Magic,” because of her tireless work in recruiting talented law graduates and planning after-hours activities that created an unprecedented level of camaraderie and cohesiveness among the whole staff.
Kelly is a Gideon’s Promise Class of 2014 graduate and credits her grandmother, her professors, and Jon Rapping, Founder and CEO of Gideon’s Promise, for sparking her passion for public defense. Kelly is a 2014 graduate of American University Washington College of Law and a 2008 graduate of the University of California Santa Cruz.
Kelly spends her free time walking her dog on the beach, baking cookies, and crafting with her godchildren.