ICON Honors 2023: Kelly L. McClelland, McClelland Law Firm, P.C.

A Green Beret who served in Vietnam, Kelly McClelland is not afraid to take on a giant. “It never mattered to me how big the company was that we were fighting against,” he says. “Whenever I find someone who wasn’t treated properly, I want to correct that situation.” During his career, he has taken on many corporate giants, including Hallmark and Sprint, with the goal of fighting for what is right.

McClelland grew up as the oldest of four siblings. After his parents’ divorce, he and his mother worked hard to support their family. As a young man, he worked at Caterpillar during the day and went to college at night. In 1968, he was drafted and ultimately served for 25 years.

Following his five years of active military duty, he earned a bachelor’s degree while playing football at William Jewell College in Liberty. His 1973 team is part of Jewell’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He applied to only one law school, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, where he earned his JD.

McClelland learned the nuts and bolts of employment law during his first job with a large Kansas City firm. Making partner after just two years, he handled one of the firm’s first plaintiff’s age discrimination cases against TWA and received a favorable result for their client. Soon, he became known as one of Missouri’s preeminent plaintiff’s employment discrimination lawyers.

In 1984, McClelland was hired as general counsel to represent the New Liberty Hospital District. He served in this capacity for 38 years, providing comprehensive legal guidance to hospital board members, administration and staff in all aspects of the hospital’s operations.

In 1993, he founded his own law firm and continues in private practice today. One of his most impressive career successes — in McClelland’s opinion — was convincing his son to leave a job with a large firm in Los Angeles and join his firm. “Now I am watching my son and other younger lawyers realize that practicing law is all about correcting the wrongs and injustices that occur,” he says. “And doing what is right.”