Former Justice Dan Kelly joins Institute for Reforming Government

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Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly is joining the Institute for Reforming Government as its senior fellow in constitutional governance.

The conservative nonprofit works with statewide, regional and national organizations on tax, government and regulation reform. Kelly will oversee IRG’s efforts to increase accountability and oversight for state agencies and assist in advancing limited-government policies in Wisconsin.

In a statement, Kelly said he was looking forward to working with IRG to protect inherent rights and ensure that the “executive branch, and its unelected bureaucrats, protect these freedoms and responsibly steward taxpayer money.”

CJ Szafir, president of IRG, said Kelly’s Supreme Court experience, passion for government reform and leadership in the conservative movement make him a valuable addition to IRG.

Gov. Scott Walker appointed Kelly to the state Supreme Court in 2016. He lost his bid for election to the court in April to Justice Jill Karofsky.

Before serving on the court, Kelly had worked as a private-practice attorney for 19 years. He’s a member of the IRG board of advisors and the past president of the Milwaukee Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society.