About

Education

J.D. 1991, University of Wisconsin
B.S.F.S. 1987, Georgetown University

Biography

Kevin M. Kelly has been on the Law School staff since 1998. He was appointed an Assistant Dean in 2000 and an Associate Dean in 2010. He served as Associate for Academic Affairs until 2025, when he was appointed a Teaching Professor. 

He holds a B.S. with honors in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, where he studied European History & Diplomacy and earned the Certificate in Russian Area Studies.  He received his J.D. with honors from the University of Wisconsin, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Wisconsin Law Review.

Following graduation from the Law School, Professor Kelly served as a criminal defense attorney and staff judge advocate in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, and was stationed in San Francisco and Scotland. After active-duty, his naval service continued as an officer in the Navy Reserve specializing in military operational law and international law issues. In 2003, he was recalled to active duty, serving as a NATO legal adviser to the Peace Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as on the U.S. European Command headquarters staff during the Iraq War. He then served as Commanding Officer of two Navy Reserve units: U.S Naval Forces Europe-Africa-6th Fleet Legal (Naples, Italy) and the U.S. Naval War College International Law Department (Newport, Rhode Island), in addition to serving for many years at the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy, National Security Law, Pentagon. In 2021, after some 32 years of military service and progressing the six ranks from Ensign to Captain, Professor Kelly retired from the Navy. He has been awarded the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

At the Law School, Professor Kelly has taught courses on the Law of Armed Conflict, Wisconsin Legal History, and on the Just War tradition, in addition to supervising directed study by students on associated topics.

From 2019 through 2024, Professor Kelly represented the Law School on the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners; he previously served on the Board from 2000 to 2006.

Professor Kelly has served as Chairman of the Catholic Diocese of Madison's Diocesan Pastoral Council since 2006, first for the Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, and then for Bishop Morlino's successor, the Most Reverend Donald J. Hying.

In 2012, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI named Professor Kelly to the Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester, Pontifex Maximus (Ordo Sancti Silvestri Papae). The honor was conferred on Professor Kelly by Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State of the Holy See, in September of that year.