Paul Joseph Kelly Jr. at a glance
- Current role
- U.S. Circuit Judge
- Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- Jurisdiction
- National federal courts · Federal
- Judicial service
- April 13, 1992–present
Paul Joseph Kelly Jr.
U.S. Circuit Judge · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Available research
Biography
Professional career
- Professional Career: Private practice, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1967-1992
- State representative, New Mexico, 1977-1981
- Private practice, Santa Fe, NM, 1967-1992
Judicial service
- Judge, Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, 1992-present
- Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- Paul Joseph Kelly Jr. (born December 6, 1940, in Freeport, New York) is a senior United States circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, serving since 1992 and assuming senior status on December 31, 2017.
- Senior Status: Assumed senior status in 2017 but continues to hear cases from his chambers in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Notable Opinions: Authored several cited decisions, including Brown v. Montoya (662 F.3d 1152, 2011), one of the most cited in his record.
- Confirmation: Confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 8, 1992, and commissioned April 13, 1992.
- Appointment: Nominated by President George H. W. Bush on November 19, 1991, to a newly created seat on the Tenth Circuit.
- held the role of a New Mexico state representative (1977–1981).
- Worked at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City.
- Kelly has stated he has no fixed judicial philosophy, with decisions spanning both sides of the spectrum.
- Official site: Tenth Circuit — Senior Judge Paul J. Kelly Jr..
Education
- University of Notre Dame · B.B.A., 1963
- Fordham University · J.D., 1967
- Fordham University School of Law · J.D., 1967
Personal record
Born 1940 · Freeport, NY
Courtroom rules and guidance
Appellate Oral Argument
In federal courts of appeals, oral argument is allowed unless a three-judge panel unanimously finds one of Rule 34's specified grounds for dispensing with it; the clerk provides the date, time, place, and time allocation.
Oral argument must be allowed in every case unless a panel of three judges who have examined the briefs and record unanimously agrees that oral argument is unnecessaryFederal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument ↗
Sources
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · checked July 25, 2026
https://www.fjc.gov/node/1383186CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1741/paul-joseph-kelly-jr/Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure