James J. Kelly Jr.

James J. Kelly Jr. is a Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame, where he directs the Community Development Clinic. He has previously served as Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law and Visiting Professor at Washington and Lee University School of Law. His work focuses on community development law, land use planning, and vacant property remediation.

• B.A., University of Virginia (1987)
• J.D., Columbia University (1994)

Kelly’s research explores legal strategies for urban revitalization, including title-clearing litigation, community land trusts, and receivership for vacant buildings. He has published extensively in journals like the Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development Law and Chicago-Kent Law Review, with citations in federal and state courts.

His scholarship includes co-editing the forthcoming Real Estate Transactions: Problems, Cases, and Materials (6th ed., 2022) and authoring Drafting Organizational Documents (2018). Awards include funding from the Skadden Fellowship Foundation. Kelly also advises nonprofits in transactional matters through Notre Dame’s Community Development Clinic.