Courtney Preston Kellner

Attorney

Profile

Courtney Preston Kellner, a native of Greenup County, Kentucky, has made Louisville her home since 2011. Courtney is a graduate of Raceland-Worthington High School and is a proud alumna of both the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, where she obtained her law degree in 2010. She is a member of both the Kentucky Bar Association and the Louisville Bar Association.

Courtney focuses her practice on family law. The majority of her representation is concentrated on divorce, custody, and child abuse litigation. She has represented clients in nearly every type of proceeding in Jefferson District, Circuit, and Family courts and prides herself on her litigation knowledge and skill. Courtney has vast experience representing and advocating for children. She is regularly appointed by the Jefferson Family Court bench as a Guardian ad Litem to advocate on behalf of children and as a Friend of the Court to make recommendations that are in a child’s best interest. Courtney has served as a panel attorney on the dependency, neglect, and abuse docket since 2015.

In 2021, Courtney received the Community Service Alumni Award from the Rosenberg College of Law at the University of Kentucky. Courtney received this award for her work helping to organize pro bono representation for over six hundred protestors charged criminally while working towards racial equality. Additionally, for her work in the protest movement, Courtney appeared in the New York Times.

Prior to opening Kellner Green, Courtney worked as a staff attorney with the Louisville Metro Public Defender, representing individuals in all areas of our local judicial system and honing her litigation skills.

In addition to her family court practice, Courtney has served as Chancellor to the Kentucky Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church since 2017. In her role as Chancellor, she served on the Executive Committee of UMC3, the Chancellor organization. She has been a guest speaker at the College of Bishop’s legal forum. She was selected to serve the global church on the Technology Study Team and Advisory Panel.

As a law student, Courtney worked as a law clerk for the firm of McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie and Kirkland as well as a law clerk to the Hon. Judge Phillip Shepherd in Franklin County Circuit Court. Courtney is particularly proud of her experience clerking for Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham.

Outside of work, Courtney is an active member of the United Methodist Church. She has previously served as an alumni advisor to the Kentucky Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi and was a charter member of the University of Louisville’s Political Science Alumni Council. She regularly volunteers in both local and statewide political campaigns.

Courtney enjoys all things gardening and canning. She resides with her children and husband, whom she met whilst cheering on her beloved Cardinals in Freedom Hall.

Bar Admissions

  • Kentucky, 2011

Education

  • University of Kentucky, J.D., 2010
  • University of Louisville, B.A., Political Science, 2007 (magna cum laude)

Work Experience

  • Staff Attorney, Louisville Metro Public Defender Office
  • Law Clerk, Kentucky Supreme Court
  • Law Clerk, Franklin County Circuit Court
  • Law Clerk, McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie & Kirkland

Professional Associations

  • American Bar Association
  • Kentucky Bar Association
  • Louisville Bar Association
  • Women Lawyers Association