--- title: "Angel Kelley | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/angel-kelley" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Angel Kelley U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts - State: Massachusetts - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, D. Massachusetts, 2021-present - On May 12, 2021, President Joe Biden nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, filling the seat vacated by Judge Douglas P. Woodlock - Associate justice, Massachusetts Superior Court, 2013-2021; regional administrative judge for Plymouth County, 2017-2020 - Associate justice, Brockton [Massachusetts] District Court, 2009-2013 - Assistant U.S. attorney, District of Massachusetts, 2007-2009 - Judge Kelley continues to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts - Kelley emphasizes fairness, restorative justice, and individualized consideration in her courtroom - Her rulings often consider broader societal and cultural contexts, reflecting a holistic approach to justice ### Education - Temple University — LL.M., Trial Advocacy (2003) - Georgetown University Law Center — J.D. (1992) - Colgate University — B.A. (1989) ### Additional information - In 2025, she blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to cap indirect costs on NIH research grants, first issuing a temporary restraining order and later a nationwide preliminary injunction, which was ultimately affirmed by the First Circuit In 2026, Kelley issued a landmark ruling ordering the Trump administration to restore National Parks exhibits on slavery, climate change, and other historical topics that had been removed under an executive order - Joined the Brockton District Court in 2009, then to the Massachusetts Superior Court in 2013, where she served until 2021 - Clinical instructor, Legal Aid Bureau, Harvard University Law School, 2005-2007 - Instructor (part-time), Real Estate Institute, New York University, 2004-2005 - Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 1997-2005; staff attorney, 1997-2003; senior trial attorney, 2003-2005; assistant chief, New York Litigation Division, 2005 - Instructor (part-time), Double Discovery Program, Columbia University, 1992-2005 - Staff attorney, Juvenile Rights Division, The Legal Aid Society, Brooklyn, New York, 1993-1997 - focusing on juvenile rights from 1993 to 1997 - Assistant director, Housing Preservation and Development, City of New York, 1992-1993 - Date of birth: 1967-01-01 - Began her career as a staff attorney at The Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York - She later worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, held the role of an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts, and taught at institutions including Columbia University, Harvard Law School, and Boston University School of Law - received her commission the following day - The second African American female judge and the second Asian American judge to serve on the federal bench in Massachusetts - handling civil and criminal federal cases - Her early international experiences in Japan and China fostered a deep appreciation for cultural diversity - Her experience spans both defense and prosecution, giving her a broad perspective on the legal system - She also maintains involvement in legal education and clerkship programs, encouraging applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds - This ruling has sparked global discussion on justice, cultural recognition, and the role of judicial discretion - Birth place: New Rochelle, NY - Judge Kelley has presided over several high-profile cases ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/10719691) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/10719691) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/10719691) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/16242/angel-kelley/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/16242/angel-kelley/) - [Judge Angel Kelley](https://www.fjc.gov/node/10719691) - [Wikidata: Angel Kelley](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106811668) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/angel-kelley", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/angel-kelley", "name": "Angel Kelley | KnowJudges", "description": "Angel Kelley, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-08", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/angel-kelley#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/angel-kelley#judge", "name": "Angel Kelley", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/angel-kelley", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/10719691", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/16242/angel-kelley/" ], "birthDate": "1967", "birthPlace": "New Rochelle, NY", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Colgate University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Georgetown University Law Center" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Massachusetts", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/massachusetts" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Angel Kelley", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/angel-kelley" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 280 | 26 | 0.7 | 26 | | 2y | 458 | 104 | 2.7 | 104 | | 5y | 952 | 562 | 5.5 | 562 | | 10y | 952 | 562 | 5.5 | 562 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.