Elizabeth Kelley is a criminal defense lawyer with a nationwide practice focused on representing people with mental disabilities. Her work centers on the intersection of criminal justice and disability law, particularly in relation to individuals with cognitive and developmental conditions.
She is the editor of Representing People with Mental Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers (1st edition 2018, 2nd edition 2024), Representing People with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers (2020), and Representing People with Dementia: A Practical Guide for Criminal Defense Lawyers (2022), all published by the American Bar Association (ABA). She is also co-author of Cybercrime and the Autism Spectrum: How the Online World Creates Victims and Offenders, published by Routledge.
In addition to her publications, Ms. Kelley serves as Vice Chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Council and sits on the Editorial Board of Criminal Justice Magazine. She has also been appointed editor of the ABA’s annual publication, The State of Criminal Justice.
Her leadership roles include serving as co-chair of The Arc’s National Council for Criminal Justice and Disability and the ABA’s Commission on Disability. She has also acted as a Non-Governmental Observer on behalf of the ABA at the Military Commission Hearings at Guantanamo Bay.
Ms. Kelley has contributed extensively to the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), where she served three terms on its board, chaired both the Mental Health and Membership Committees, and remains a Life Member.
Her international work includes participating in NACDL and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)-sponsored delegations to Liberia in 2009 and 2014, where she helped train the country’s criminal defense bar.
She is a frequent speaker and writer on issues relating to mental disabilities in the criminal justice system, as well as attorney wellness. In 2023, she was named a Fulbright Scholar.
Learn more at elizabethkelleylaw.com.
