Kevin J Kelley
Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas General Division
Full Term Commencing Jan. 1, 2025
Candidate Details
- Residence
Cleveland - Email
kevin.kelley123@gmail.com - Social Media
- Age
55 - Occupation
Judge - Education
Juris Doctor, Cleveland Marshall College of Law (now Cleveland State University Law)
Master of Social Work, Case Western Reserve University
Bachelor of Science, Marquette University
Major: Economics
Minor: Political Science
- Work Experience
Judge; Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division (Dec. 2022-Present)
Of Counsel; Porter Wright Morris + Arthur, LPA (September 2004-December 2022)
Member and Council President; Cleveland City Council (2005-January 2022)
Social Worker; Recovery Resources (2000-2004)
- Family
Married with 5 children - Affiliations
Board Member, College Now Cleveland
Former Board Member, Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation*
Former Board Member, Housing Justice Alliance*
Former Board Member, First Year Cleveland*
*I have been active with these and numerous other civic and community organizations. But I have stepped back since taking the bench as most of these organizations rely on government money and have a political or government outreach function.
- Endorsements
Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council
Pipefitters, Local 120
Laborers, Local 310
Cleveland Firefighters, Local 93
Cuyahoga County Democratic Party
Northshore AFL-CIO
AFSCME Local 8
Teamsters, Local 407
IBEW, Local 38
The Cleveland Plain Dealer
Kevin J. Kelley for Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge in the Jan. 1 term: endorsement editorial - cleveland.comTeamsters Ohio D.R.I.V.E.
Cleveland Area Middle East Organization
Latinx NEO Fund
I am still awaiting several endorsements and will update as they come in.
Kevin J Kelley
Question 1
List your judicial experience (courts and years)
Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division (December 2022-Present).
Abbreviated Candidate AnswersCuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division (December 2022-Present).
Question 2
What non-judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?
My experience as an attorney, social worker, and local elected official has prepared me well for the bench.
Prior to being elected to the bench, I was a practicing attorney for 18 years. I began as Associate Attorney and was promoted to Of Counsel where I practiced mainly in civil litigation. In addition to my general practice, I provided pro bono counsel to low income individuals, including two successful gubernatorial pardons for low level drug offenders who were facing employment barriers.
I also served as a member of Cleveland City Council, including two terms as President of Council. As Council President, I presided over all legislative matters of the City of Cleveland. I worked with community partners to launch innovative programs such as First Year Cleveland to fight infant mortality; a language access plan in place for Cleveland City Hall; and Cleveland’s Right to Counsel initiative for low-income tenants facing eviction.
And prior to all of this, I was a social worker working in community mental health.
Having the experience of being a lawyer, a local elected official, and social worker has taught me that the most important qualities to be a good judge are listening, empathy, and respecting all points of view. My experience has taught me that the most fair and equitable outcomes happen after listening to all views of all parties, and then being willing to make a just decision, even when the decision is not popular.
Abbreviated Candidate AnswersMy experience as an attorney, social worker, and local elected official has prepared me well for the bench.
Prior to being elected to the bench, I was a practicing attorney for 18 years where I practiced mainly in civil litigation. In addition to my general practice, I provided pro bono counsel to low income individuals, including two successful gubernatorial pardons for low level drug offenders who were facing employment barriers.
I also served as a member of Cleveland City Council, including two terms as President of Council. As Council President, I presided over all legislative matters of the City of Cleveland. I worked with community partners to launch innovative programs such as First Year Cleveland to fight infant mortality; a language access plan in place for Cleveland City Hall; and Cleveland’s Right to Counsel initiative for low-income tenants facing eviction.
And prior to all of this, I was a social worker working in community mental health.
Having the experience of being a lawyer, a local elected official, and social worker has taught me that the most important qualities to be a good judge are listening, empathy, and respecting all points of view. My experience has taught me that the most fair and equitable outcomes happen after listening to all views of all parties, and then being willing to make a just decision, even when the decision is not popular.
Question 3
Why are you running for this particular court seat?
Simply stated, I love this job and hope to continue serving the people of Cuyahoga County who elected me to this position.
Serving the public in this capacity is a true honor. And I try my hardest each day to honor the position that I have been elected to. Every person who enters the courtroom is treated with absolute respect. I do not treat any matter as routine. Before each matter, I remind myself that this may be the most important day in the lives of the parties, whether criminal or civil. I treat every attorney who appears before me with respect and the way I wanted to be treated when I was practicing law. It is my goal that at the conclusion of any proceeding that I presided over, that all parties feel that they have been listened to, their arguments fairly considered, and that they were treated fairly.
It would be a true honor if the people of Cuyahoga County would reelect me to this position.
Abbreviated Candidate AnswersSimply stated, I love this job and hope to continue serving the people of Cuyahoga County who elected me to this position.
Serving the public in this capacity is a true honor. And I try my hardest each day to honor the position that I have been elected to. Every person who enters the courtroom is treated with absolute respect. I do not treat any matter as routine. Before each matter, I remind myself that this may be the most important day in the lives of the parties, whether criminal or civil. I treat every attorney who appears before me with respect and the way I wanted to be treated when I was practicing law. It is my goal that at the conclusion of any proceeding that I presided over, that all parties feel that they have been listened to, their arguments fairly considered, and that they were treated fairly.
It would be a true honor if the people of Cuyahoga County would reelect me to this position.