Kelsey received his undergraduate degree from Old Dominion University and his J.D. from the College of William and Mary School of Law. Kelsey began his career as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge John MacKenzie. He then worked as a partner at the law firm of Hunton & Williams. In 2000, Kelsey became a circuit court judge for the 5th Judicial Circuit in Suffolk, where he served until his appointment to the Virginia Court of Appeals by former Governor Mark Warner on August 30, 2002. He served on the Virginia Court of Appeals until joining the Supreme Court of Virginia in January 2015.
