Lisa Kelly

Lisa Kelly is an Associate Professor at Queen's University Faculty of Law, specializing in criminal law and family law with a focus on youth justice and legal regulation of young people. She holds a BA in History and Political Science from the University of British Columbia, JD from the University of Toronto, and SJD from Harvard Law School as a Trudeau Scholar. Her research examines intersections of race, class, gender, and disability in legal systems, particularly school discipline and policing dynamics.

Research highlights include a SSHRC-funded project on police powers in Canadian schools and a forthcoming monograph Unsafe: How a Politics of Danger Transformed School Life. She teaches criminal law, evidence, and sexual/reproductive justice, and contributes to judicial education programs on youth justice and child witness accommodations.

• Awards: Stanley M. Corbett Teaching Award, Fulbright Scholarship, Frank Knox Fellowship
• Service: Board member of Canadian Criminal Law Quarterly and former St. Lawrence Youth Association trustee
• Publications: Co-authoring Youth Criminal Justice Law (3rd ed., 2025) and over 15 peer-reviewed articles

Current work bridges legal theory and practice through collaborative projects on school safety policies and transnational abortion litigation frameworks.