Matthew J. Kelly

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  • 602-240-3056
  • Suite 1100
    2800 North Central Avenue
    Phoenix, Arizona 85004-1043
  • 602-240-3000
  • 602-240-6600 fax
  • Download V-card

Matt considers himself lucky to have been raised in Pine, Arizona—a tiny dot on the map in Arizona’s Rim Country. When he was six, Matt’s family decided to leave southern California and move to the rural Arizona town where his grandparents lived. Making ends meet in a small town was not easy, but observing the daily struggles of his parents, Tom and Dolores, Matt learned the importance of honesty, integrity, hard work and family.  Those values were reinforced by Matt’s grandfather, Webster, a land surveyor with whom Matt spent many summers working out in the field.

After graduating high school, Matt moved to the “big city” (Flagstaff) to attend Northern Arizona University. Matt had always been interested in law and pursued a course of study in college that allowed him to intern with the Coconino County Public Defender’s Office and work within the local legal community. Matt’s decision to become an attorney was cemented after seeing first-hand the uncertainty, complexity, and the real and perceived injustices within the legal system.

Armed with the values instilled in him by his family, Matt moved to the “really big city” (Washington, D.C.) with his wife, Melanie, where he attended law school at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. In May 2000, Matt graduated from law school and returned to Arizona to begin his legal career. Matt works hard to achieve his goal—“to support and guide [his] clients through a legal system that is uncertain, complicated, and constantly changing and to do so professionally, honestly, and with integrity.”

Matt’s practice areas primarily include civil and commercial litigation. Prior to joining Mohr Hackett in September 2001, he served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable William F. Garbarino of the Arizona Court of Appeals from August 2000 to August 2001.

Outside of the office, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife and children, and takes pleasure in fishing and boating.

Year Joined Mohr Hackett:

2001

Current Position:

Associate

Practice Areas:

Litigation (Trials, Appeals, Mediations and Arbitration)
Business Law, Corporations and Business Organizations
Construction Law
Employment Law

Bar Admissions:

Arizona, 2000
U.S. Supreme Court, 2007
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2000
U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 2000

Education:

Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Washington, District of Columbia, 2000
J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
Honors: Law Review’s Award for the Best Student Written Article
Honors: National Team Membership, Moot Court Advocacy Competitions

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1996
B.S., Bachelor of Science
Major: Criminal Justice Studies

Published Works:

Federal Preemption by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978: How Do State Tort Claims Fare?, Catholic University Law Review, Volume 49, Spring, 2000

Associations and Memberships:

Supreme Court of Arizona, Committee on Examinations, Bar Examination Grader, 2006 - Present

State Bar of Arizona, Member, Appellate Practice and Trial Practice Sections, 2000 - Present

State Bar of Arizona, Civil Practice and Procedure Committee, Committee Member, 2007 - Present

State Bar of Arizona, Civil Practice and Procedure Committee, Subcommittee on Rule 45, Subcommittee Chair, 2007 - Present

Judge Pro Tempore, Maricopa County Superior Court, 2007 – Present

American Bar Association, Member, Litigation Section, 2000 - Present

Law Journal:

Catholic University Law Review, Published Staff Member

Previous Positions:

Arizona Court of Appeals, Hon. William F. Garbarino, Judicial Law Clerk, 2000 - 2001