J.Y. Kang

Denver lawyer J.Y. Kang fights to protect the rights of personal injury victims and those accused of criminal acts throughout Colorado.

Having been a deputy district attorney for six years as well as practicing insurance defense work early in his career, he has been on the ‘other side’ and knows the tendencies of opposing counsel, prosecutors and insurance company adjusters alike.

He has a proven track record over 30 years of effectively, aggressively and ethically representing clients against criminal and traffic charges, and victims of all types of accidents. Whether you are charged with a DUI, a simple traffic ticket or a complex felony, or the victim in an accident involving minor injuries or even death, he has the depth and breadth of legal experience and expertise to obtain results for you.

• Admitted to Colorado Bar: 1993
• 6 years as Deputy District Attorney
• 25 years in private practice focusing exclusively on criminal defense and personal injury
• Admitted to practice in the United States District Court, where he has represented clients in federal cases in both Denver and the Northern District of Texas in Dallas
• Member of the Colorado Trial Lawyer’s Association as well as the Colorado Bar Association
• Languages spoken: English, Korean

Mr. Kang is a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada where he graduated from the University of Western Ontario (Bachelors, Honors Political Science, 1986) and the University of Windsor Law School (LL.B, 1990). He moved to Denver, Colorado in 1993 and was admitted to the Colorado bar the same year. He has been practicing law for over 30 years, having been admitted to the bar in Ontario before his move to Colorado.

From 1993 to 1999, he was employed as a Deputy District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District encompassing Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. He prosecuted virtually every type of felony crime including murder, sex assault, drug distribution and possession, burglary, theft, domestic violence assault, prostitution, pimping, menacing, child abuse and misdemeanors like dui. During this time, he was also an instructor at the Aurora Community College Police Academy (POST board), teaching future police officers in Search and Seizure, Moot Court Testimony and Interrogations and Confessions. On behalf of his office in 1999, he appeared before the Colorado Supreme Court and successfully argued during oral arguments the constitutionality of Colorado’s wiretapping statute in the landmark case of People v. Shepard 983 P.2d 1 (Colo. 1999).

On a more personal note, one of his proudest moments, besides his marriage and birth of his two children, came while employed as a DA in 1999 when he became a naturalized United States citizen, disavowing his Canadian citizenship at the same time.

He left the district attorneys office in 1999 for private practice, focusing exclusively on criminal defense and plaintiff’s personal injury. He has won impressive jury verdicts on behalf of his clients as well as favorable verdicts and large settlements on his injury cases. In the Colorado Court of Appeals, as lead counsel in People v. Ware, 39 P.3d. 1277, Colo. App 2001), he successfully argued that the trial court’s dismissal of all juvenile charges based on a statute of limitations violation should be upheld. He has succeeded at every level, whether it be the trial, appellate or supreme court. From less serious municipal offenses to serious felonies in state district court, to injury cases routinely involving six figure claims, he has tried to verdict more than 120 cases before juries across Colorado.

As someone who has worked on both sides of the aisle, he knows the strategies and tactics of opposing counsel. He will use this for your advantage to achieve the best result possible. He will create value for you!

He is fluent in English and Korean and was an actor in Korea in the late 1980’s, appearing as an English speaking actor on MBC Television. This proved to be great prelude to becoming a trial attorney.

He is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court, where he has represented clients in federal cases in both Denver and the Northern District of Texas in Dallas. He is a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyer’s Association as well as the Colorado Bar Association.

His three most recent criminal trials in the last year resulted in not guilty verdicts in each trial. A domestic violence case in Douglas County, a DUI case in Greeley and a vehicular homicide charge in Jefferson County all resulted in not guilty verdicts. In his personal injury cases, he has recovered over $3,000,000 for his clients since 2022. Whether your case involves being charged with a crime or a personal injury/wrongful death, J.Y. has the breadth of experience and tenacity to get the job done.