Daniel Kelly

Daniel Kelly (born February 25, 1964) is an American attorney and former judge who served as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice from August 1, 2016, through July 31, 2020. He was appointed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in 2016 to fill the unexpired term of Justice David Prosser Jr., but lost election for a full term in 2020 to circuit judge Jill Karofsky by a margin of 10.5%. He lost in a second attempt to win a seat in the 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election to circuit judge Janet Protasiewicz by a margin of 11.2%. Early life and education Born in Santa Barbara, California, Kelly grew up in Arvada, Colorado. He moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 1982 to attend Carroll College, where he graduated in 1986 with degrees in political science and Spanish. He attended the evangelical Christian Regent University School of Law, where he was founding editor-in-chief of the law review, graduating in 1991. Legal career After law school, Kelly clerked for Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge Ralph Adam Fine for one year, then for the United States Court of Federal Claims for four years.