Maria G. Kelly is an associate in the Land Use and Environmental Law teams at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., focusing her practice on site remediation of contaminated properties and environmental permitting. Maria brings nearly two decades of legal experience and a comprehensive background in public service, private practice, and environmental enforcement.
Prior to joining Wilentz, she served as an Assistant City Attorney to the City of Trenton, where she represented the City and Trenton Water Works in diverse legal matters, including defending tort claims against the City in the Superior Court of New Jersey, and litigating civil rights cases before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. In the Department of Water, she contributed to drafting key legal documents and coordinating projects related to public infrastructure and environmental compliance. Additionally, Maria’s tenure in the Department of Housing provided her with a background in property transactions and regulatory compliance.
Maria also served as a Deputy Attorney General, representing the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in both the Office of Administrative Law and in the Superior Court, Appellate Division. She handled environmental litigation. Her work on behalf of NJDEP included cases related to the New Jersey Underground Storage of Hazardous Substances Act (USHSA), and the New Jersey Flood Hazard Area Control Act (FHACA). She also worked as part of a team on Federal Clean Air Act (CAA) cases.
Prior to law school, Maria began her career in the field of environmental regulation. She has worked as a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Inspector for the U.S. E.P.A., Region XI, and as a Hazardous Waste Manager for the National Park Service in the San Francisco Bay Area.