Kelly’s first career, however, was in book publishing. She worked in editorial, as a literary agent, and finally in subsidiary rights at a multinational book publisher for eight years prior to earning her law degree. Kelly worked full-time while attending law school at night, where she was a Brooklyn Law School Trade Secrets Institute Fellow and received a certificate in Intellectual Property, Media, & Information Law.

Halfway through law school, Kelly felt the inevitable pull of her family ties to the labor movement. Her grandfather was a sheet metal worker and proud union member. Kelly answered the call by leaving her publishing gig to work as a law clerk at Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP, SAG-AFTRA, and Region 2 of the National Labor Relations Board (Division of Judges). She has worked on behalf of unions and employee benefit funds ever since.