• Houston Chronicle: Texas Supreme Court Races Deserve National Attention

    The Houston Chronicle editorial board highlighted the Texas Supreme Court contests among five races deserving national attention. Justice Chari Kelly is one of four Democratic women seeking seats on the court. The board noted that their election would create a female majority and, with one Republican joining them on a ruling, could “change the trajectory of the state, and the nation.”

  • EMILYs List Endorses Justice Chari Kelly for Texas Supreme Court

    EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, endorsed Justice Chari Kelly for Texas Supreme Court, Place 2, praising her “proven track record of defending freedom and upholding the rule of law” and highlighting her service as a U.S. Army JAG officer, former prosecutor, and appellate justice.

  • Texas Lawyer: Tight Races for Texas Judges: State Bar Poll Results

    Texas Lawyer reported that the State Bar of Texas’s judicial preference poll indicates the 2026 statewide judicial contests are “gearing to be highly competitive.” In that poll, Justice Chari Kelly led the race for Texas Supreme Court, Place 2, and was the only one of 26 candidates across 10 statewide races to receive more than 2,000 votes from fellow Texas attorneys.

  • Texas Supreme Court: Who is running and what to know

    In its 2026 primary guide, The Texas Tribune highlighted Justice Kelly’s more than seven years of experience on the 3rd Court of Appeals and her description of herself as a “committed defender of the Constitution” in contrast to her Republican opponent’s little more than one year on the Texas Supreme Court and his promise of “bold, relentless, conservative judging.”

  • Appeals Court Rules on Lawsuit Seeking Ken Paxton Emails

    In January 2024, Justice Kelly joined a 3rd Court of Appeals ruling allowing a nonpartisan watchdog’s lawsuit seeking Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Jan. 6–related emails to move forward after the court rejected his effort to have the case dismissed.

  • Meet the Austin Bar’s new President: Justice Chari Kelly

    Justice Chari Kelly was elected Austin Bar president for the 2023–2024 term.

  • How a $3.3M settlement against Texas AG Ken Paxton put him on path to impeachment vote

    In May 2023, Justice Kelly ruled that Attorney General Ken Paxton is not above the law and is subject to whistleblower liability like any other state employee. The decision sparked a bipartisan investigation that led to Paxton’s impeachment by the Texas House.

  • Three local lawyers honored at 23rd annual Pathfinder Awards

    At the 23rd annual Pathfinder Awards Ceremony on January 19, 2023, the Travis County Women Lawyers’ Association (TCWLA) recognized Justice Kelly with the Pathfinder Award. The TCWLA honors women attorneys who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and serve as role models for other women in the field.

  • Appeals court upholds mask mandates for Austin, 18 other Texas school districts

    At the time of publication, the Austin American-Statesman named Justice Kelly’s words its Quote of the Week: “The Governor does not possess absolute authority under the Texas Disaster Act to preempt orders issued by governmental entities and officials.”

  • Commentary: Legal Aid Crucial for Veterans

    In a 2021 San Antonio Express-News commentary co-authored with then–Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, Justice Kelly called for stronger support for civil legal aid for Texas veterans facing challenges involving housing, health care, benefits, and family stability.

  • Justice Kelly Questions Paxton’s Claim of Exemption from Whistleblower Law

    In September 2021, The Texas Tribune reported on arguments before the 3rd Court of Appeals in a whistleblower lawsuit against Attorney General Ken Paxton. Justice Kelly questioned his claim that he was exempt from whistleblower lawsuits, pointing to the argument that his state salary and participation in the state retirement system made him a public employee.

  • Democrats sweep 3rd Court of Appeals races

    In 2018, four Republican incumbents seeking election to the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals lost to their Democratic challengers. This marked the first time Democrats had won a seat on the court since 2008. Chari Kelly secured her victory with 54 percent of the votes, successfully unseating an incumbent seeking his second six-year term on the court.