Background
Michael J. Kelly was born on February 18, 1956, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. His professional career developed in Wisconsin's legal and business environment, with Milwaukee serving as the principal setting for his practice.
Michael J. Kelly was born on February 18, 1956, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. His professional career developed in Wisconsin's legal and business environment, with Milwaukee serving as the principal setting for his practice.
Kelly studied business administration at the University of Notre Dame, receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration degree magna cum laude in 1978. Founded in 1842, Notre Dame is a Catholic research university in Indiana whose academic tradition combines liberal education with professional and public service. He also studied at the Notre Dame London Law Centre in London, England, an overseas program connecting Notre Dame legal education with the study of law in an international setting.
He received a Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin in 1981. The University of Wisconsin's Madison campus is a major public research institution, and its law school has long prepared lawyers for practice in Wisconsin and beyond. Kelly was admitted to the Wisconsin bar in the same year.
Kelly worked at Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he specialized in corporate law, real estate, and banking. Foley & Lardner is a major American law firm founded in Milwaukee in 1842 and known for a broad business-law practice serving corporate and institutional clients.
His legal career was conducted within Wisconsin's professional regulatory system. He was admitted to the Wisconsin bar in 1981 and practiced in areas involving business organizations, property, and financial matters. His professional address was associated with the Firstar Center at 777 East Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee.
Kelly was a member of the Milwaukee Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the State Bar of Wisconsin. These organizations support professional standards, continuing legal education, advocacy, and collegial exchange within the legal profession.