In recognition of his service to the legal profession and community, Judge William G. Kelly of Kentwoods 62-B District Court has been selected by the Grand Rapids Bar Association as the recipient of the 2018 Donald R. Worsfold Award.
Kelly was honored with the award during Grand Rapids Bar Associations Annual Law Day Celebration and Awards Luncheon on May 1 at the University Club in downtown Grand Rapids.
The Donald R. Worsfold Award is presented when the association wishes to acknowledge and honor the contributions of a member whose service stands out for its extraordinary impact on the life of the community. In addition to Kelly, the Hon. Paul Sullivan and Hon. Janet Neff will also receive this award.
“I’m humbled to be receiving this recognition,” Kelly said. “Service to my community, the legal profession and the Bar has always been of the upmost importance to me throughout my legal career and nearly 40 years on the bench.”
Kelly has served the Kentwood community as the City’s first and only district court judge since 1979. He was elected in November of 1978, following his father, Joseph Kelly, who served as Kentwood’s municipal judge from 1971-1979. In 2014, he was re-elected for a term that expires in 2020.
Active professionally, Kelly serves on the Foreign Language Board of Review and is a member of the Legislative Committee of the Michigan District Judges Association. Previously, Kelly has served as president of the Michigan District Judges Association; chair of the Judicial Conference of the State Bar of Michigan; chair of the National Conference of the Special Court Judges of the American Bar Association; chair of the Judicial Division Committee on Traffic Court Program of the ABA; member of the board of trustees of the Grand Rapids Bar Association; and member of the board of directors of the National Center for State Courts from 1994 to 2000.
Kelly has received numerous awards throughout his career, including: Marian Hilligan Public Service Award from WMU-Cooley Law School; William R. McMahon Award from the ABA for the most significant implementation of technological advances in a court of limited or special jurisdiction; Judicial Excellence Award from the Michigan District Judges Association; Peacemaker Award from the Dispute Resolution Center of West Michigan and St. Thomas More Award from the Catholic Lawyers Association of West Michigan.
