---
title: "Kristy Yang | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kristy-yang-judge-milwaukee-county-circuit-court-wi"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Kristy Yang

Milwaukee County Circuit Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Milwaukee County Circuit Court
- State: Wisconsin
- Role: Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-08-22

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### camera notice

Scope: statewide

Wisconsin SCR 61 asks media to give the trial judge advance notice before bringing cameras or recording equipment into the courtroom.

Evidence excerpt: the trial judge shall be given notice, at least 3 days in advance

[Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### courtroom equipment control

Scope: statewide

Wisconsin SCR 61 leaves courtroom equipment placement, lighting, and use subject to trial-judge control.

Evidence excerpt: Only equipment approved by the trial judge in advance of the court proceeding may be used

[Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote hearing notice

Scope: statewide

Wisconsin's court system instructs parties that courts will notify them when a hearing is remote and provide joining instructions.

Evidence excerpt: The court will send you instructions on how to join your remote hearing by video or by phone.

[Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm)
Source checked: 2026-07-26

### remote hearing technology

Scope: statewide

Wisconsin remote-hearing guidance tells participants to contact the clerk promptly if they lack reliable internet or phone access.

Evidence excerpt: Contact the clerk of circuit court as soon as possible.

[Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/circuit/judges.htm)
- [Official roster](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/circuit/judges.htm)
- [Wisconsin Court System official judicial roster](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/circuit/judges.htm)
- [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099)
- [Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- Her historic election and ongoing work highlight her commitment to diversity, justice, and community engagement in Wisconsin’s legal system

### Education

- Undergraduate degree from Lakeland College and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin.

### Additional information

- Elected to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court in 2017, Yang represents Branch 47 and was re-elected in 2023, with her current term ending in 2029.
- Born in 1980 in the Ban Vinai refugee camp in Thailand, her family fled Laos after the Vietnam War and immigrated to the United States in 1987, eventually settling in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
- Kristy Yang, also known as Kashoua Kristy Yang, made history as the first female Hmong-American judge in the United States and the first Asian-American judge elected without appointment in Wisconsin.
- She also held the role of a family law mediator, emphasizing her skills in resolving disputes outside of court.
- Despite early challenges, including language barriers and prejudice, Yang excelled academically
- Yang began her legal career focusing on family law, operating her own firm, Kashoua Yang, LLC, and gaining recognition as a Super Lawyer Rising Star for multiple years.
- Her dedication to pro bono work earned her accolades from the Milwaukee Bar Association and the Association of Women Lawyers.
- Her judicial philosophy emphasizes fairness, public trust, and accessibility, particularly for low-income and minority communities.
- She has also been active in community service, volunteering with organizations such as the Legal Clinic for Hmong Speakers and the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic.
- Yang’s personal story is marked by resilience; shortly after her election, she faced the tragic loss of her husband in a car accident, yet she continues to serve and inspire her community.



## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-36fa3f826227447b1512eede) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099). Collected 2026-07-26.
