Catie Kelley

Catie Byrd Kelley served as legal counsel for the Center for Life at Alliance Defending Freedom. In this role, Kelley helped defend pro-life legislation and protect the First Amendment speech and conscience rights of pro-life medical professionals and pregnancy centers. Kelley took lead in researching, reviewing, and preparing resources on every state’s abortion laws for ADF attorneys and allies to support and advise pro-life states, medical professionals, and advocates after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade. She was one of several ADF attorneys who assisted Mississippi’s legal team in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court victory that reversed Roe.

Prior to joining the Center for Life, Kelley served ADF as a lawyer fellow, supporting ADF’s Center for Academic Freedom and Center for Conscience Initiatives. In that role, Kelley assisted in litigation efforts to protect the First Amendment rights of students and professors and defend West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act.

Kelley earned bachelor’s degrees, summa cum laude¸ in religion and communication from Mercer University and a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Mercer Law School, where she was a Woodruff Scholar, Blackstone Fellow, member of mock trial, and recipient of the highest grade in Legal Writing II. Throughout law school, Kelley interned for Justice Verda Colvin while she served at the Bibb County Superior Court, for Chris and Lizzie Clark at Clark, Smith, and Sizemore; and for Denise Harle at ADF’s Center for Life.