Maureen P. Kelly
How Judge Kelly rules, drawn from 30 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Kelly
Maureen P. Kelly has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania since June 2011. She was Chief Magistrate Judge from 2014 to 2018 and previously practiced employment and commercial litigation. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame and Duquesne University School of Law.
Judge Kelly's practices and standing orders
Rules for cases before Judge Kelly, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026). Judges revise these often, so confirm the current version on the court's site before you file.
Key rules
Contacting chambers
Do not send letter motions or briefs unless Judge Kelly asks for or approves them.
“Counsel are not to send letter motions/briefs to Magistrate Judge Kelly unless she specifically requests or approves this practice.”
Motions
File a supporting brief with motions other than extensions and continuances, unless the motion itself provides enough legal argument.
“With the exception of motions for enlargement of time and for a continuance, all motions must be accompanied by a brief.”
Motions
Dispositive briefs are limited to 25 pages.
“Magistrate Judge Kelly imposes a page limitation of twenty-five (25) pages for all dispositive and responsive briefs.”
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 9, 2026).
How Judge Kelly decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
In Rosario, Kelly recommended denying a motion to dismiss filed by several defendants in a prisoner civil-rights suit; the district judge adopted her recommendation.
“The Court accepts and adopts Judge Kelly’s Report and Recommendation in its entirety as the opinion of the Court. Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss is denied.”
In Manuel, Kelly recommended summary judgment for correctional and medical defendants on several grounds, including insufficient evidence of PLRA exhaustion; the district judge adopted her recommendation.
“plaintiff has failed to establish a genuine issue of material fact that he properly exhausted his administrative remedies as required by the PLRA;”
Procedural preferences
In Levys, Kelly recommended granting a motion to dismiss; the district judge adopted her recommendation and gave the plaintiff leave to amend.
“Plaintiff is granted leave to file an amended complaint that rectifies the deficiencies outlined in the Report and Recommendation by June 28, 2018.”
Cautions
In Rosario, Kelly recommended denying the plaintiff's cross-motion for summary judgment because it was untimely and concerned claims no longer pending. The district judge adopted the recommendation.
“recommending that Plaintiff’s Cross-Motion be denied because it was untimely filed and because the claims on which Plaintiff seeks summary judgment are no longer pending in this action.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Before the Court is the Honorable Maureen P. Kelly's May 11, 2022 Report and Recommendation (ECF No. 46), which recommends that the Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 37) filed by Defendants ... be denied. ... The Court accepts and adopts Judge Kelly's Report and Recommendation in its entirety as the opinion of the Court. Defendants' Motion to Dismiss is denied.”
“A Report and Recommendation was filed by Chief United States Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly on May 15, 2018, (ECF 31) which recommended granting the Motion to Dismiss. ... Defendants' Motion to Dismiss (ECF 27) is GRANTED. Plaintiff is granted leave to file an amended complaint that rectifies the deficiencies outlined in the Report and Recommendation by June 28, 2018.”
“The R&R recommends that 1) the pending motions for summary judgment by Correction Defendants Sgt. Wiles and Lt. Dailey and defendant Darla Cowden be granted and 2) judgment be entered against plaintiff and in favor of all defendants. ... IT IS ORDERED that [73], [77] the motions be, and the same hereby are, granted.”
“Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly entered a Report and Recommendation (ECF No. 145) dated August 12, 2021 recommending that Plaintiff's Cross-Motion be denied because it was untimely filed and because the claims on which Plaintiff seeks summary judgment are no longer pending ... Plaintiff's Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment is denied.”
“Judge Kelly entered a Report and Recommendation (ECF No. 154) dated October 19, 2021 recommending that Defendants' Motion be granted as to the sole remaining claim, specifically Plaintiff's First Amendment retaliation claim at Count B ... Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment is granted.”
Kelly recommended dismissing without prejudice, before service, a self-represented complaint over a discontinued bus route because the named elected officials did not control the route and the complaint omitted the transit authority. Because no party motion was decided, the recommendation is excluded from motion statistics.
Pro se IFP 28 U.S.C. 1915(e) screening. Kelly recommended sua sponte dismissal as frivolous/malicious/failure to state a claim, leave denied as futile; Horan adopted, dismissed WITH prejudice. Quote: 'recommending that the Complaint be dismissed sua sponte, in accordance with 28 U.S.C. 1915(e), as frivolous, malicious, and for failure to state a claim ... the Complaint is dismissed with prejudice.' Contrast Brown v. Peduto (without prejudice). Because no party motion was at issue, it is excluded from the statistics.
Pro se prisoner case. Kelly recommended Rule 41(b)/Poulis sua sponte dismissal for failure to prosecute (plaintiff failed to respond to a show-cause order); Colville adopted, dismissed WITH prejudice. Quote: 'recommending that this case be dismissed for failure to prosecute ... This action is hereby DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE for failure to prosecute.' Because no party motion was at issue, it is excluded from the statistics.
“it is respectfully recommended that this case be dismissed without prejudice for failure to prosecute, and that a certificate of appealability be denied.”
“it is respectfully recommended that the Motion to Dismiss be granted in part and denied in part.”
“it is respectfully recommended that the Court grant the Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 36, as to all claims against Allegheny County and Warden Harper, but deny the Motion to Dismiss as to Plaintiff’s claims against the remaining County Defendants.”
“It is further recommended that the Court deny the Motion to Dismiss, ECF No. 42, filed on behalf of Dr. Stechschulte.”
“It is further recommended that the Court grant the Partial Motion to Dismiss as to Plaintiff’s Eighth Amendment verbal harassment and conditions of confinement claims, and as to Plaintiff’s Fourteenth Amendment due process claims, and that the Court dismiss these claims without prejudice and with leave to amend.”
“it is respectfully recommended that the Court grant Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 16, on exhaustion grounds as to Plaintiff’s claims arising from incidents on February 21, 2023, and March 14, 2023, and that summary judgment be entered in favor of Defendants Ingram and Fielder.”
“it is recommended that the Court deny Plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction.”
“It is further recommended that the Court deny Plaintiff’s Motion for Default as moot.”
Sua sponte R&R deciding no party motion; recommends the pro se prisoner Section 1983 complaint be dismissed without prejudice under Rule 41(b) for failure to prosecute after the plaintiff failed to cure in-forma-pauperis deficiencies. Grounding quote: “it is respectfully recommended that this action be dismissed without prejudice due to Plaintiff’s failure to prosecute.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Kelly's sample includes consent trademark, consumer, employment, disability, employee-benefits, motor-vehicle, prisoner civil-rights, and habeas matters, plus criminal duty cases. Many consent civil matters were referred to mediation and settled before a dispositive ruling; her dispositive work is more visible in recommendations issued in referred cases.
Pending matters in the official report
Reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts under the Civil Justice Reform Act, as of March 31, 2026.
| Motions pending more than six months | 2 |
| Bench trials submitted more than six months | 0 |
| Bankruptcy appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Social Security appeals pending more than six months | 0 |
| Civil cases pending more than three years | 0 |
| Report | Motions over six months | Cases over three years |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 2026 | 2 | 0 |
| Sep 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| Mar 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2024 | 0 | 2 |
| Sep 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2023 | 0 | 3 |
| Sep 2022 | 0 | 1 |
| Mar 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2020 | 0 | 1 |
A snapshot on that date: matters listed may since have been decided or reassigned. A motion referred to a magistrate judge is counted for both judges. Motions in multidistrict litigation, section 2255 cases and Social Security appeals are not counted, and a very large three-year count is generally a multidistrict docket. Source: Appendix A of the report (PDF); about the report.
How long civil cases take in this court
For the whole of U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, not for Judge Kelly: median time from filing to disposition of the civil cases the court closed in the 12 months ending September 30, 2025, as reported by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
| Cases | Median time | |
|---|---|---|
| All civil cases closed | 1,965 | 6.5 months |
| Closed with no court action | 665 | 4.6 months |
| Closed before pretrial | 659 | 5.1 months |
| Closed during or after pretrial | 632 | 8.4 months |
| Closed during trial | 9 | not reported |
| 12 months ending | Cases closed | Median time |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 1,965 | 6.5 months |
| Sep 2024 | 1,871 | 6.3 months |
| Sep 2023 | 2,021 | 5.9 months |
| Sep 2022 | 1,988 | 6.5 months |
| Sep 2021 | 1,891 | 6.3 months |
| Sep 2020 | 1,939 | 5.6 months |
| Sep 2019 | 1,766 | 6.9 months |
The table leaves out prisoner petitions, land condemnations, deportation reviews, recovery of overpayments and enforcement of judgments, and reports no median for fewer than 10 cases. A district that closed a large multidistrict litigation in the period shows very large counts and long medians for that year. Source: Table C-5, U.S. District Courts (spreadsheet).
Draft for Judge Kelly with the record in hand
Ezel grounds your drafting and research in this profile: what has persuaded Judge Kelly, and what has not, cited to the signed orders.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Grounded in Judge Kelly's own signed orders
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace