Meet Dan Kelly
Personal and Education
- Married 34 years
- 4 adult children, all MSU graduates
- Lives in Clarkston, MI
- Undergrad - Western Michigan University
- Law School - University of Detroit Law School
College and University Board Experience
- Michigan State University Board of Trustees, 2017-Present
- Oakland Community College Board of Trustees, 2011-2016
Public Service
- Independence Township Board of Trustees, 8 years
- Independence Township Planning Commission
Legal Practice
- Specializing in governmental, municipal, and labor law.
- 30+ years with a large Troy based firm where he served on its Board of Directors and Chair of its Municipal Law Department,
- In 2018 Dan opened The Kelly Firm, PLC, in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
- Court-appointed mediator and is certified in risk management and risk management for public entities by the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters.
Mr. Kelly concentrates his practice in the areas of municipal and labor law. He has successfully defended numerous municipalities, school districts, police agencies, police officers, employers, and insurers at all levels of the litigation process in front of the state, federal, and appellate courts. With his extensive trial experience, Mr. Kelly has been asked to serve as a court-appointed mediator and lecturer on numerous issues involving governmental entities, risk management, labor and liability exposure.
Given his 30 years of litigation experience on behalf of municipalities and school districts, recently Mr. Kelly has focused his training on preventative techniques to avoid the costs of litigation. He has completed two associate programs in Risk Management and Risk Management for Public Entities certified by AICPCU/IIA. Additionally, he has completed the training and certification by the Michigan Supreme Court as a court appointed mediator/facilitator. He has completed the Michigan State University’s prestigious one-year fellowship in Governmental Leadership. His unique experience in both the law and having sat as an elected official at the local, county and state levels, give him a unique perspective for the representation of public entities.
Certifications
- Associate Degrees in Risk Management for Public Entities and Risk Management, certification testing authorized by AICPCU/IIA
- MSU one-year fellowship Governmental Leadership; Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP)
- Supreme Court of Michigan certified and selected as mediator/facilitator for Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne County Courts
- Invited speaker and instructor for numerous public entities involving governmental law issues, including Michigan Association of School Boards (statewide teleconference on civil rights claims), Michigan Township Association, and various local municipalities and school districts
Education
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Detroit, Michigan, J.D. Bar Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Michigan Supreme Court
- State Bar of Michigan
Professional Leadership/Memberships
- Michigan State University Board of Trustees
- Oakland Community College Board of Trustees
- State Bar of Michigan
- Oakland County Bar Association
- Michigan Township Association
- Association of School Layers
- Former Trustee, Independence Township Board of Trustees
- Former Independence Township Planning Commission
- Independence Township Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission
- Independence Township Representative for union, cable, and ordinance revision committees
- Lake Board representative for Lake Oakland, Van Norman, Waumegah, and Mill Ponds
Honors/Awards
- Martindale-Hubbell Peer and Judicial Review Rated “AV Preeminent”
- Super Lawyer 2010 to Present
- dBusiness Metro Detroit “Top Lawyers” 2010 to Present
