Jane L. Kelly - PENDING

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

On January 31, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Jane Kelly to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Alliance for Justice applauds Ms. Kelly’s nomination, which brings much-needed gender and professional diversity to the court, which has jurisdiction over seven states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas. Ms. Kelly would be only the second woman in the court’s history, which spans over 120 years. Furthermore, as a career Federal Defender, she would bring both a commitment to public service and an important perspective on criminal justice to the Eighth Circuit. To this point, prosecutors have outnumbered public defenders by a 6-to-1 margin amongst President Obama’s circuit court nominees.

Jane Kelly’s historic nomination is an important step in the direction of a diverse federal bench, and Alliance for Justice strongly urges her swift confirmation.

» Download AFJ Background Report on Jane Kelly (pdf)

Biography

Jane L. Kelly was born in 1964 in Greencastle, Indiana. She received her B.A. summa cum laude from Duke University in 1987 before graduating cum laude with a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991. After receiving her law degree, Ms. Kelly clerked for Judge Daniel Porter of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota and Judge David Hansen of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Upon completing her clerkships, she served for a year as Visiting Instructor at the University of Illinois College of Law, before joining the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa in 1994.

Ms. Kelly’s personal history is also one of courage and perseverance. Despite being the victim of a violent mugging, she has devoted her career to defending those charged with federal crimes. The ABA vetting committee unanimously found Ms. Kelly qualified to serve as a federal appellate judge.

Legal Experience

Jane Kelly has spent her legal career defending indigent Americans accused of federal crimes. In nearly two decades in the Federal Defender’s office, Ms. Kelly has represented clients in all phases of criminal defense. As Supervising Attorney, she oversees office administration and serves as a liaison between the Federal Defender and the court.

Ms. Kelly has tried over a dozen federal cases to jury verdict, and has extensive courtroom experience in pre-trial, trial, and post-trial settings. Ms. Kelly has also briefed and argued appeals on behalf of clients before the Eighth Circuit. Because the Iowa Federal Public Defenders do not specialize in particular areas of substantive criminal law, Ms. Kelly has experience in cases ranging from alleged drug offenses to immigration and firearms charges.

Ms. Kelly has also appeared on a variety of panels on substantive legal topics, including criminal defense, legal writing, evidence and discovery, mental health, and sentencing issues. She has also served on a Blue Ribbon Committee for the Northern District of Iowa on criminal justice issues and taught classes on criminal law and trial advocacy at the University of Iowa.

Conclusion

Jane Kelly is an exceptional nominee to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. She brings a unique personal history to the federal bench, as well as crucial professional diversity and progress in gender equality. The Senate should quickly confirm Ms. Kelly and provide the Eighth Circuit, which has lagged in advancing women on the bench, with a highly qualified judge committed to public service.

» Download AFJ Background Report on Jane Kelly (pdf)