Get to know the firm
Our Story
The Carlton Law Firm P.L.L.C. was founded in 2011 by John and Kelli Carlton as a partnership looking to provide the best legal services possible for their existing clients with an extra personal touch only possible in a smaller law firm. As proud Texans, Austin was the perfect town to call home. (Hook’em Horns!)
Over ten years later, their only regret is not starting the firm together sooner! Since its founding, the team at Carlton Law has continued to grow and develop into a thriving small business built on the trust between their clients and the Firm. The Firm is sought across the State for its experience in matters related to water and wastewater utilities, emergency services, fire protection, and local government administration. As the Firm and its clients grow together, the team at Carlton Law is honored to provide legal services for its clients across the State.
Our Vision
We envision a legal landscape where Texas local governments thrive through strong, transparent, and accountable governance. We strive to be the long-term legal partner of choice for emergency services districts and water and wastewater providers; delivering strategic counsel that enhances public safety, infrastructure resilience, and regulatory compliance. Guided by our core values, we aim to build lasting relationships that strengthen local institutions, foster civic trust, and support a more resilient future for the communities we serve.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide legal counsel to Texas emergency services districts and water and wastewater providers, fostering long-term partnerships built on trust, clarity, and shared purpose. We are committed to delivering high-quality, efficient, and ethically grounded representation that supports public safety, infrastructure reliability, and transparent governance. Through responsive service and strategic insight, we empower local districts to fulfill their vital missions and serve their communities with excellence, today and for years to come.
Core Values
Quality
We deliver precise, informed legal services, ensuring lasting value and operational strength.
Efficiency
We provide timely, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions for public services.
Integrity
We uphold the highest ethical standards, centering on transparency, accountability, and principle.
Responsiveness
We remain accessible and attentive, able to adapt swiftly to changing priorities.
Our Partners
John and Kelli Carlton founded The Carlton Law Firm, P.L.L.C. together, as partners and spouses, in 2011.
John Carlton
John is the Managing Member of The Carlton Law Firm. His current clients include emergency services districts, water districts, other local governments, water supply corporations and other utility companies, and landowners and developers. He is also the general counsel for the Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts (SAFE-D).
He has worked on water and wastewater legal and regulatory issues since 1991, beginning his practice at the Texas Water Commission and Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, predecessors to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. He entered private practice in 1993 and began working with emergency services districts and other local governments at that time.
He enjoys educating people about their role in government and how a diverse group of individuals can define and achieve a common goal. Mr. Carlton has made numerous presentations at conferences around Texas related to local government, fire, EMS, and utility matters in the State. He is a member of the Administrative and Public Law, Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Public Utility Law Sections of the Texas State Bar.
He received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology from University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.
When he isn’t working on utility and local government matters, he enjoys soccer, sailing and traveling with his family.
Kelli Carlton
Kelli Carlton is a Partner in The Carlton Law Firm. She represents local governmental entities, including emergency services districts and municipal utility and special utility districts, providing counsel and assisting those local governments with issues that arise both from the law and their mission of service.
She spent the first twenty years of her practice as a civil litigator, handling products liability, contractual issues, insurance defense, property disputes, restrictive covenants, and intellectual property-related cases. She also litigated family law and agency-based utility matters. After many years of litigation, she welcomed the idea of a practice that would allow her to counsel and serve those who serve their local communities.
She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and is a Founding Fellow of the Austin Bar Foundation. She served on the Board of Directors of the Austin Young Lawyer’s Association, working on committees serving both members of the community and members of the local Bar. She spent many years volunteering with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas and the Capital Area Boy Scout Council and is a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree with high honors from the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.
Outside the office, she enjoys live music, musical productions, and traveling with her family.