Kori was born and raised in Milwaukee, which makes serving the people of Milwaukee County that much more meaningful. Milwaukee is home to her parents, brother and extended family. She is grateful that they are close and that she is able to see them often.  Kori lives in the Enderis Park neighborhood with her husband, Dr. Kwadwo Owusu-Ofori and 16-month old son, Myles. 
 

Criminal 
Defense Attorney

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School, Kori joined Alex Flynn & Associates as a criminal defense attorney where she practiced in both State and Federal court. During this time she developed her litigation skillset and familiarity with the courtroom. It was during Kori's time in the defense bar where she gained a unique understanding of how conviction records can negatively impact a person's ability to re-enter society. 
 

Community Builder
Public Interest Lawyer

In 2016, Kori joined Legal Action of Wisconsin as a public interest attorney. She became a leader in Legal Action of Wisconsin's "Road to Opportunity Project", where she worked to remove her client's barriers to employment through expungement, driver's license restoration, and record correction, so that clients had better access to gainful employment. Kori regularly organized expungement clinics throughout Milwaukee to ensure that community members had knowledge of and were connected to these resources. During her time at Legal Action, Kori also administered the Municipal Court Defense Project where she represented clients in Milwaukee Municipal Court. She also worked in the firm's Victim's Rights Project where she worked to ensure that victims' statutory rights were protected during various as proceedings. As an advocate for second chances - she serves as the Co-Chair of Project Street Youth - a program provided by the Wisconsin State Bar to provide legal services for homeless teenagers.

Victory in
Wisconsin Court of Appeals

Kori capped off her career as an attorney by winning a landmark case in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals that required the State’s Crime Information Bureau to remove arrest records from people's Criminal Background Reports when the person wasn't charged or convicted of any crime after the arrest. These criminal background reports are frequently used by landlords and potential employers to make decisions.  Multiple arrests on a background report can make someone look menacing and keep them from successfully transitioning back into society - even when they have not been charged or convicted of any wrong-doing. She and her colleagues in the "Road to Opportunity Project" successfully argued to change this practice.

Elected Chairperson
Wisconsin State Bar

Kori was elected to the Wisconsin State Bar Board of Governors in 2017 to represent attorneys in Milwaukee County. Within 2 years, she became Chair of the Board of Governors, and worked on their diversity and inclusion initiatives until she completed her term in July 2020. Kori joins an elite group 50 attorneys in the State of Wisconsin to ever hold this position - only 3 of which are women. 
 

High School Mentor
Coach Ashley

And she mentors future attorneys in Hon. Charles N. Clavert Jr. Mentoring and Internship Program, and Golda Meir High School's Mock Trial Team.

Judge Kori Ashley

On June 6, 2020 Kori Ashley was appointed by Governor Tony Evers to serve as a Circuit Court Judge, Branch 19 and now presides over misdemeanor court. She was sworn in by Chief Judge Mary Triggiano and her uncle, Judge Carl Ashley, on September 13, 2020. As a judge, Kori strives everyday to represent a system that is approachable and not intimidating.  

“Kori Ashley will be a dynamic judge who pushes for real change. We know that the criminal justice system is broken, and that it has an overwhelming disproportionate impact on people of color. As an attorney, Ashley has worked tirelessly to correct this. Now she’ll do so on the bench.”

-Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin