By submitting your contact information, you’re agreeing to receive periodic contact emails and text messages from the Kilander For Milwaukee campaign. Message & data rates may apply. Text HELP for more info. Text STOP to stop receiving messages. Privacy Policy.
Judge Tanner is a former social worker and public defender who has dedicated her life to equity and justice.
Long before taking the bench, Tanner worked as a social worker, foster parent, public defender, and youth softball coach. She earned her law degree from Marquette University, where she co-founded the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic.
She has dedicated her multi-decade career to justice, advocacy, and community service while proudly raising her three daughters here in Milwaukee.
Appointed to the bench by Governor Tony Evers, Judge Tanner is now running to retain her seat as Milwaukee County Court Judge to ensure every single person who steps into her courtroom is heard, seen, and treated with dignity.
Judge Kilander believes the people who walk into her courtroom are more than their case number. Her approach is shaped by decades spent on every side of the system — as a social worker, a defender, and now a judge.
Every Person Deserves to Be Heard
Judge Tanner approaches every case with the thoroughness, preparation, and careful listening it deserves. She holds herself to the highest standards of accountability, ensuring decisions are driven strictly by the facts and law—never outside influences.
Real-World Understanding
Having served as a social worker, public defender, and foster parent, Judge Tanner knows that court rulings can carry real, lasting effects on families and on our communities. She brings real-world perspective to the bench to ensure decisions are fair, practical, and grounded in community safety.
A Fair Process for Everyone
Every person who walks into a courtroom deserves to be treated with fundamental human dignity, regardless of their background or resources. Judge Tanner serves as a strictly neutral arbiter, applying common-sense fairness and the rule of law to every single proceeding.
