Partner
Washington, D.C.Kelsi maintains a generalist practice mirroring the wide range of subject matters that appellate judges confront on their dockets. Her constitutional and administrative law experience includes litigating challenges involving the First, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments; the Appointments Clause; the Bill of Attainder Clause; separation of powers; statutory interpretation; and regulatory overreach. She has also handled appeals involving copyright, class action certification, civil fraud, breach of contract, financial services, bankruptcy, and employment discrimination, to name a few. She also has a robust pro bono practice focusing on civil rights litigation in the Supreme Court. Rather than structuring her practice around narrow subject areas, Kelsi’s passion is translating complex disputes into compelling stories that persuade the court to rule in her client’s favor.
Prior to joining Orrick, Kelsi was with the Civil Appellate Staff at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she served as lead counsel for the federal government in more than 30 appeals representing a wide array of federal agencies, including the Copyright Royalty Board; the Federal Communications Commission; the Department of Transportation; the Department of Agriculture; the Social Security Administration; the Department of Housing and Urban Development; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; the Department of Health and Human Services; and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Kelsi previously worked in the Communications Office of the White House’s Executive Office of the President, where she assisted with judicial nominations, including the confirmation hearings of Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Before law school, she was a social worker in Philadelphia’s foster care system.
Kelsi serves on the Board of Trustees for the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia and on the Board of Directors for the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.
Kelsi also has successfully defended challenges involving a wide range of government actions and programs, including: