Maureen Kelly is a shareholder in the Employment and Labor Services Group. She has focused her practice in the area of employment litigation. Her practice consists primarily of representing employers in the defense of discrimination claims involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She handles cases seeking to enforce and defend against the enforcement of restricted covenants. Ms. Kelly is experienced in all stages of litigation, including appellate argument. She served as co-counsel in trial successfully resulting in one of the largest jury verdicts in Pennsylvania history. As a result of her trial skills, she was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2007 and was elected to the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County in 1996. She is also a fellow in the Academy of Trial Advocacy.
Background
Ms. Kelly received her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1983 and earned her J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law in 1987. Prior to joining Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir, P.C., Ms. Kelly was a partner in the Labor and Litigation Departments of one of Pittsburgh’s largest law firms.
Memberships and Affiliations
Ms. Kelly was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve as Chair of the Interest on Lawyers Trust Account Board and is completing her fifth year in that role. She was recently appointed to serve on the nine member American Bar Association Commission on Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts. She served as an appointed member of the Lawyers Advisory Committee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She served as the appointed Chair of the Merit Selection Panel for the Selection and Appointment of Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Kelly is active in bar activities. She served as Chair of the Allegheny County Bar Association Civil Litigation Section Council. She previously served a three-year term as an elected member of the Allegheny County Bar Association Judiciary Committee. Ms. Kelly has served as an active member of other committees of the Allegheny County Bar Association. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
On a statewide level, Ms. Kelly served as co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Task Force on Law Student Loan Forgiveness. She also served as an appointed member of the statewide Task Force on the Delivery of Legal Services to the Poor. She previously served as a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association House of Delegates.
Ms. Kelly is extremely active in civic and charitable organizations. She currently serves on the board of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. She served as the chair of the Equal Justice Under Law Campaign from 1997 to 2005. She was a member of the board of directors of Pennsylvania Legal Services from 1996 to 2003. She served a two-year term as president of the board of directors of Neighborhood Legal Services Association. She served on the Advisory Board to the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame. She has also served on the boards of directors of other non-profit organizations in Western Pennsylvania.
Ms. Kelly is a fellow in the American Bar Association Foundation. She is also a member of the Defense Research Institute.
Awards
Ms. Kelly has been listed in the Labor and Employment Law Section of The Best Lawyers in America® since 2008. In February 2008, The Penn State Dickinson School of Law awarded her the Sylvia H. Rambo Award in recognition of her distinguished legal career and her efforts on behalf of women in the profession. In March 2007, the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network presented Ms. Kelly with the Outstanding Leadership in Support of Legal Services award. This award recognizes commitment to the delivery of legal services to the poor in Pennsylvania. She was presented with the Susan B. Anthony Award in February 2007 by the Women’s Bar Association. This award honors an outstanding member of the legal community who demonstrates dedication to encouraging and promoting women in the law and maintaining the highest professional standards in the courts and legal profession. In June 2006, Ms. Kelly was presented with the Dorothy Ann Richardson Award by the Neighborhood Legal Services Association. This award recognizes years of dedicated service and commitment to advocating equal justice for all. She has been recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s top lawyers since 2005, and has been listed as one of Pennsylvania’s top 50 female lawyers and Pittsburgh’s top 50 lawyers, according to an annual survey published in Philadelphia magazine. Ms. Kelly was named Woman of the Year in May 2004 by the Women’s Law Association of Duquesne University School of Law. In May 2003, she was named as one of Western Pennsylvania’s 50 Fast Trackers in Business by the Pittsburgh Business Times. She was presented with the 1999 Duquesne University School of Law Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award for her achievements in the legal profession and service to the community.
Publications/Presentations
Ms. Kelly has frequently lectured on the procedural aspects of Pennsylvania state and federal court practice. She has served as a faculty member of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Employment Law Institute.
