Justice Chari L. Kelly ’02 serves on the Third Court of Appeals in the state of Texas. Before her election to the Third Court, Justice Kelly worked as an Assistant District Attorney for both Comal and Travis Counties where she handled all aspects of felony prosecution. Named the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Prosecutor of the Year for Travis County in 2018, she has tried more than 35 jury trials, including aggravated sexual assault of a child, attempted capital murder, murder, and kidnapping.
Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) and the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) in Criminal Law, Justice Kelly has served as a Research Attorney and Law Clerk at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Medicaid Fraud Division. She is a U.S. Army Veteran and former paratrooper. A previous captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps at Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), she was certified by the United States Naval Justice School to defend death penalty cases.
Justice Kelly is also deeply involved in the Texas Law community and has served as an adjunct professor and lecturer for the Advocacy Department for over 15 years. More than teaching, she volunteers with the 1L Mentoring Program, participates in Center for Women in Law activities, guest-coaches and judges for several advocacy competitions, and is an engaged member of the Law School’s Alumni Association Executive Committee. During the pandemic, Justice Kelly went above and beyond for Texas Law students when she volunteered to mentor students graduating without employment. She also held a swearing in ceremony for any recent graduates that missed that experience due to COVID. Due to her mentorship of law students and young lawyers, she was awarded the Texas Young Lawyers Mentor of the Year in 2023.
Justice Kelly was educated at the University of Florida, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Criminology. She subsequently received a Doctor of Jurisprudence from The University of Texas School of Law in 2002. She is a past-president of the Austin Bar Association and the Austin Young Lawyers Association and is a member of the Robert W. Calvert Inn of Court. Justice Kelly is the Chair of the Austin Bar Foundation. Justice Kelly and her husband, Adam Schramek ’01, currently live in Austin Texas. Together, they have established an endowed scholarship at the Law School.