About Kelly
Kelly Jurs built her legal foundation at Loyola University New Orleans, where she earned a J.D. in Law and International Studies in 2002 after completing a B.A. in English at Immaculata College in 1996. Those years established a base in legal analysis and writing that would shape her work in courtroom practice and case preparation.
She moved into public defense early in her career. In 2005 she joined the Chester County Public Defender's Office as an assistant public defender. There she handled client intake, negotiated pleas, and conducted trials. The work exposed her to the everyday pressures of criminal defense practice and to the procedural demands of county courts.
After years in public service she shifted to private practice. Records show a private firm role in 2020, followed by a position at Gawthrop Greenwood, PC in 2021. The transition reflected a move toward broader civil and criminal matters handled in a private setting. Her practice experience spans client counseling, courtroom litigation, and pretrial strategy.
She is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, before the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Those admissions allow her to appear in state trial courts, federal district court in the Eastern District, and on appeals at the circuit level. The combination of trial and appellate admission shapes how she prepares cases and advises clients.
Her professional affiliations run across local and statewide organizations. She has been a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers since 2005. She joined the Chester County Bar Association in 2016 and the Pennsylvania Council of Mediators in 2021. The memberships indicate an interest in both advocacy and alternative dispute resolution, and she participates in bar activities and continuing legal education tied to those groups.
Colleagues describe a lawyer who moves between courtroom advocacy and negotiated resolutions. She has experience in jury trials, plea negotiations, and appellate filings. Her time as an assistant public defender is a frequent touchstone in how she approaches client relations and case strategy.
Since 2021 she has been listed as a lawyer at Gawthrop Greenwood, PC. She practices in Pennsylvania courts and in federal venues where admitted, handling matters that draw on both her trial background and appellate credentials. Her current practice concentrates on criminal defense and related litigation matters.
