05.18.21 — Northeastern Law is pleased to announce that Melvin J. Kelley IV will join the university faculty effective July 1, 2021, as associate professor of law and business within the School of Law and the D’Amore-McKim School of Business. Kelley is currently assistant professor of law at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, where he specializes in state and local government law, property law and legal theory. Kelley’s research focuses on the sociopolitical, geospatial and civil rights implications of decentralizing public authority, antidiscrimination jurisprudence governing real estate transactions and community economic development tactics with the aim of proposing possibilities for redressing enduring regional inequities in access to resources that enable upward mobility.
Prior to teaching at Villanova, Kelley served as the first Elizabeth Ann Zitrin Fellow and visiting assistant professor of law with the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at Northeastern Law. Before transitioning to academia, Kelley held industry positions with the Connecticut Fair Housing Center and the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut. He currently serves on the advisory committee for the College of the Holy Cross’ Slavery, Memorial and Justice Initiative, the advisory board of Northeastern Law’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project and is a member of Villanova University’s Racial Disparities in Health Committee. He received his BA in political science, economics and Africana studies from the College of the Holy Cross and his JD with Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar Honors from Columbia Law School.
“I am beyond thrilled to return to Northeastern, where social justice anchors our dynamic and innovative intellectual community’s engagement with law and policy,” said Kelley.
About Northeastern University School of Law
The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country and is a national leader in legal education reform. Founded with cooperative legal education as the cornerstone of its program, Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences. All students participate in full-time legal placements, and can choose from the more than 1,500 employers worldwide participating in the school’s signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experience to successfully practice law.
For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu.