Prof. Brandeis interviewed for Anchorage Daily News article on Anchorage Municipality labor law litigation

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., was interviewed for the Anchorage Daily News article, "City, unions argue labor law in court," by Nathaniel Herz, which appeared online July 20, 2013.

The article looks at the recent lawsuit over the municipality's new labor law ordinance.  Prof Brandeis notes, "This case is an interesting test of the extent to which the Anchorage electorate can and should be able to participate in direct lawmaking."

Prof. Brandeis teaches constitutional law and civil liberties courses, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law issues. 

Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center releases Fact Sheet on Alaska Superior Court felony case processing

The Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC) has released, "Alaska Superior Court Felony Case Processing, 2005-2012," number 13-05 in the Fact Sheet publication series.

The report examines the composition of felony case filings (person, property, drug, or "other" cases) and the final disposition of felony cases. For the 8-year period examined, only 2.9% of felony cases proceeded to trial. Data were extracted from Alaska Court System annual statistical reports. Dr. Brad A. Myrstol, director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center, authored this Fact Sheet.

The AJSAC is housed within the UAA Justice Center and publishes a monthly Fact Sheet addressing various crime and criminal justice topics.

Dr. Payne publishes article on "hot spots" in Encyclopedia of Community Policing and Problem Solving

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, recently published an article on "Hot Spots" in the new reference work by Sage Publishing, Encyclopedia of Community Policing and Problem Solving.

"Hot spots" refers to the spatiotemporal clustering of crime — that is, crime is not randomly distributed across time and space.  Crime tends to cluster at both locations and times of day.  Analyzing this clustering can often lead to clues to the immediate causes of the crime clusters, which in turn informs crime prevention practice.

This encyclopedia looks at community policing as a philosophy which supports the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues.  The work is a collection of over 150 entries by significant figures in the research field.

College of Health hosts August 21 workshop on recruiting diverse faculty with Dr. Uma Jayakumar of USF

The College of Health (COH) and Alaska WWAMI are hosting a program for UAA faculty and staff on recruiting and retaining diverse faculty - "Is 'Critical Mass' Necessary for Fostering Educational Benefits and Student Success?"

Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where: PSB 166, UAA Main Campus
Speaker: Dr. Uma Jayakumar, University of San Francisco

Dr. Uma Jayakumar, USF

Noted diversity scholar Dr. Uma Jayakumar of the University of San Francisco will discuss the shifting landscape of diversity scholarship, including the question of "critical mass," her scholarship impacting the U.S. Supreme Court's recent diversity case, Fisher v. University of Texas (2013), and the function of affirmative action post-Fisher.

Her presentation will also include a faculty/staff workshop  to assist units in developing strategies for recruiting and retaining diverse faculty and staff.


Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice faculty, chairs the COH Diversity Committee.

Alaska portion of National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction is now complete

The National Inventory of Collateral Consequences of Conviction (NICCC) Project  recently completed its inventory of Alaska statutes and regulations and found that 492 of these create collateral consequences for offender reentry in our state. Additional states are being added to the inventory, and project completion is scheduled for April 2014.

Launched in 2012, the NICCC is a joint initiative of the American Bar Association and the National Institute for Justice to document the collateral consequences of criminal conviction in all U.S. jurisdictions. The current inventory with Alaska data is now available on NICC’s interactive website: www.abacollateralconsequences.org

Alaska Senate Majority Leader John Coghill and Senate Minority Leader Johnny Ellis sent a request this spring to the NICCC Director that Alaska be moved to the top of the list of inventories to be completed so that work could advance on efforts to reduce recidivism in the state.  After receiving a positive response from the NICCC, plans were made to hold legislative hearings this summer on collateral consequences and other issues related to criminal recidivism.

A Joint Judiciary Committee Hearing will be held on Thursday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Menard Sports Complex in Wasilla to discuss SB 64 --“Omnibus Crime/Corrections Bill.” 

The Collateral Consequences Work Group, chaired by former Alaska Department of Corrections Deputy Commissioner Carmen Gutierrez, will analyze the results of the Alaska inventory, report on the findings, and develop a set of recommendations to make the restrictions more compatible with public safety. This includes developing a set of recommendations to make the information about restrictions more accessible and transparent to job seekers, employers, workforce providers, and state policymakers.  

Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice faculty, is a member of the Work Group. Her article, "The Hidden Impact of a Criminal Conviction: A Brief Overview of Collateral Consequences in Alaska" (2007) is included in the Bibliography/Resources List on the NICCC website.

Dr. Rivera part of interdisciplinary faculty teaching summer COH behavioral health course

Faculty from the College of Health -  Drs. Mary Dallas Allen, School of Social Work; Jenny Miller, Health Sciences; Marny Rivera, Justice; and Karen Ward, Center for Human Development; and Dr. Patricia Sandberg, Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, co-taught a 3-credit summer course, "Interdisciplinary Exploration of Alaska's Critical Behavioral Health Issues." Students were from the disciplines of justice, social work, counseling, and public health. The course was supported through a grant from the College of Health, and made available to students in Anchorage and Fairbanks. UAA and UAF sites were connected by videoconference.

The course provided an overview of critical behavioral health issues in Alaska, including domestic violence and sexual assault, substance abuse, and suicide; introduced evidence-based practices and local resources; and offered an interdisciplinary perspective on the issues by featuring a cadre of state experts.

The faculty collaborated on the curriculum development and delivery, and gained a deeper understanding of how to organize and process an interdisciplinary course. Future work involves institutionalizing the course. This effort is part of the ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration that is a goal of COH and UAA.

Drs. Rosay and Rivera interviewed by KTUU Channel 2 News about Alaska juvenile delinquency and school discipline statistics

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center Director, and Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, were interviewed by KTUU Channel 2 News regarding a recent Alaska Justice Forum article titled, "Trends in Juvenile Delinquency, School Suspensions, and Expulsions." Their comments aired on July 17 in a segment by Abby Hancock titled, "UAA Study Highlights Remarkable Decline in Juvenile Delinquency."

In discussing the decline in juvenile delinquency, Dr. Rosay noted "...at this point it's difficult to say exactly what caused the decline, other than simply saying agencies are working well together and providing good services to Alaska's youth."

While juvenile delinquency in Alaska has decreased, the number of school suspensions and expulsions has increased.  Dr. Rivera remarked that a change in school policy regarding the way offenses are reported is more likely the cause, rather than a change in student behavior.

Click here for a full copy of the article, "Trends in Juvenile Delinquency, School Suspensions, and Expulsions."

Dr. Lepage attends Interprofessional Education Conference in Vancouver

Dr. Cory Lepage, Justice faculty, attended the Interprofessional Education Conference in Vancouver in June.  Dr. Lepage and two other members of the College of Health — Dr. Randy Magen, COH Associate Dean for Curriculum/Professor, School of Social Work and Prof. Stephanie Olson, Program Coordinator, Dental Assisting Program, School of Allied Health — participated in Collaborating Across Borders (CAB) IV.

The conference theme, "Transformative Change from the Classroom to Practice," reflecting the role of concept and theory in the preparation and education of health professionals.

CAB IV is the fourth joint conference that links Canada and the United States around the key themes of interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional practice (IPP).

The conference focused on interprofessional education, practice, leadership, and policy in a North American context, and highlighted best practices and evidence-based outcomes and lessons learned. The event also provided a venue for scholarly dialogue and productive networking.

The UA Board of Regents has identified interprofessional collaboration as a critical training area for faculty.

Prof. Fortson authors Anchorage Daily News Compass piece on unmet civil legal needs in Alaska

Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Justice faculty, authored a Compass piece in the Anchorage Daily News on July 17, titled "Alaska's poor need legal help in civil cases." In this article, Prof. Fortson notes that while attorneys are provided by the state for individuals with even minor criminal offenses, "[a]pproximately one half of low-income households will be faced with the need for civil legal assistance each year ... around 85,000 Alaskans."

Alaska Legal Services Corporation, the state's largest non-profit legal service provider, has offices statewide, but is able to help in civil cases for only about 6,300 low-income families annually. Many of the remaining individuals and families who need representation in cases such as domestic violence, custody, eviction, and foreclosure will face the court alone.  Prof. Fortson stresses that "a strong sense of justice means pushing for access to legal representation for all."

Prior to his appointment to the Justice Center, Prof. Fortson worked for the Alaska Legal Services Corporation as a staff attorney dealing primarily with family law, landlord/tenant relations, and public benefits cases. Prof. Fortson volunteers his time with Alaska Legal Services Corporation to advise clients on family matters.  He was also a partner at the Northern Justice Project, the only private civil rights law firm in Alaska.

Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center releases Fact Sheet on Alaska trial court case filing statistics

The Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC) has released, "Alaska Trial Court Case Filing Statistics, 2005-2012," issue 13-04 in the Fact Sheet publication series. This issue presents data on cases filed in Alaska's trial courts (Superior Court and District Court) during state fiscal years 2005–2012. Data were extracted from Alaska Court System annual statistical reports.

The report examines data on case filings, caseloads, and types of cases filed in Superior and District courts. The Fact Sheet is authored by Ryan Fortson, Ph.D., J.D. , Justice Center faculty, and Brad A. Myrstol, Ph.D., director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC).

The AJSAC is housed within the UAA Justice Center and publishes a monthly Fact Sheet addressing various crime and criminal justice topics.

Dr. Lepage presents on team-based learning at new faculty orientation in August

Dr. Cory Lepage, Justice faculty, and Dr. Caroline Wilson, Biological Sciences, have been invited to give presentations at the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE) New Faculty Orientation in August.  They will be discussing team-based learning  (TBL) and the TBL faculty learning community at UAA.

New faculty will be introduced to the concept of team-based learning, TBL-related resources at UAA, and the TBL learning communities sessions that are scheduled for 2013 -2014.

Team-based learning (TBL) is an increasingly-popular form of small group learning with four components: 1) permanent teams, 2) readiness assurance, 3) application activities, and 4) peer evaluation.

TBL teachers report high levels of student attendance, preparation, participation and critical thinking, and TBL students report being more motivated and enjoying class more, even when the subject is not in their major. 

Justice faculty and staff hear exoneree Ted Bradford at Alaska Innocence Project program

Dr. Allan Barnes, Justice Center Director; Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Justice faculty; and Barbara Armstrong, Alaska Justice Forum editor attended the May 2013 Alaska Innocence Project program and fundraiser highlighting exoneree Ted Bradford.

L ro r: AKIP Executive Director
Bill Oberly and exoneree Ted Bradford
at the 2013 event.

Ted Bradford was wrongly convicted of the 1995 rape of a woman in Washington state; he served 9 years in prison. Through the efforts of the Innocence Project Northwest at the University of Washington School of Law, Mr. Bradford was exonerated in 2010. He shared the story of his experience at the Alaska Innocence Project program and fundraiser in May, and ended his remarks by playing his guitar for the group.

L to r: Dr. Allan Barnes and
Prof. Deb Periman of the Justice
Center at the AKIP event.

The Alaska Innocence Project (AKIP) is one of the Justice Center's community partners.  AKIP is overseen by a diverse, all volunteer Board of Directors made up of former police, former prosecutors, Alaska Native leaders, and other community members. Bill Oberly is the Executive Director and handles day-to-day operations. Volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and investigators assist with the work of the AKIP. Justice Center paralegal students have worked in internships with the Alaska Innocence Project.

Drs. Chamard and Payne attend Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis Symposium

Dr. Sharon Chamard and Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, attended the 21st annual Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) Symposium in June in Philadelphia.

Some of this year's presentations included research on:

• "journey-to-crime" - physical proximity versus ease of access to locations
• geographic clustering of residential structure fires and burglary 
• Philadelphia police foot patrols and "patrol dosage" (what officers do, who the officers are, time spent on patrol)
• application of the CRAVED model (a way to assess the desirability of a target) to illegal commercial fishing
• organizational failures in the Vancouver Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concerning the investigation of the Vancouver Missing Women/Pig Farm Serial Murder case.

A highlight of this year's symposium was a tour of murals in some of the more challenged neighborhoods in Philadelphia.  The “Restorative Justice Tour”  is part of the the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, and incorporates the concepts of restorative justice through art instruction, mural making, and community service work within the criminal justice system. Current inmates, ex-offenders, and juvenile delinquents are given the opportunity to learn new skills and make a positive contribution to their communities to repair the prior harm they may have caused.

 ECCA is an annual, invitation-only symposium attended by an international group of researchers and practitioners engaged in situational crime prevention, intelligence-led policing, and problem-oriented policing. In 2008, the Justice Center hosted the 17th annual ECCA Symposium on the UAA campus.

Prof. Knudsen makes presentations on mixed administrative tribunals to Alaska Office of Administrative Hearings staff

Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., Justice faculty, will present the second of a two-part series on lay participation in mixed administrative tribunals to staff of the State of Alaska Office of Administrative Hearings on July 24 in Juneau.

Prof. Knudsen’s first presentation was held in Anchorage and focused on a comparison of the results of her Alaskan survey research on lay participation in mixed tribunals with European survey research.  Her second presentation will highlight issues identified in her research concerning training needs and recruitment of Alaskan lay adjudicators.

A “mixed” administrative tribunal is an appointed board or commission that decides legal issues with the involvement of a professional administrative law judge; this  involvement varies in degree and methods, depending on the tribunal’s rules and statutes. 

Dr. Rivera presents to joint meeting of state Alcohol Beverage Control Board subcommittees

Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, presented to a joint meeting of two subcommittees of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board on June 12.

She discussed her report, "Analysis of Strategies Designed to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons," issued January 19, 2012, and provided an overview of research on this topic to the Underage Drinking Subcommittee and the Role of the ABC Board Subcommittee.

Click here for her PowerPoint presentation on "Strategies to Reduce Sales of Alcohol and Tobacco to Underage Persons."  

Dr. Rivera is a member of both the Role of the ABC Board and the Underage Drinking subcommittees. One of her research areas is substance abuse, with a focus on underage drinking.

Justice Center closing at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3

The Justice Center will be closing at 3:00 p.m. today, Thursday, July 3..  Have a safe holiday!

UAA and Justice Center closed July 4 and 5 for holiday

The UAA campus and the Justice Center will be closed Thursday and Friday, July 4 and 5, in observance of Independence Day.
The Justice Center will reopen on Monday, July 8 at 8:00 a.m.

Have a safe and healthy July 4!

KSKA Public Radio airs KTOO interview of Prof. Brandeis about U.S. Supreme Court same-sex marriage decisions

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., was interviewed on June 26 by KTOO Public Radio Juneau for a story about the recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions on same-sex marriage. KSKA Public Radio Anchorage rebroadcast the story on June 27 on "Alaska News Nightly."  
 
Prof. Brandeis' comments originally appeared June 26 on the KTOO website  - "What does the ruling on DOMA, Prop 8 mean for Alaska?" 
 
Prof. Brandeis teaches constitutional law and civil liberties courses, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law issues.

Profs. Periman and Fortson present at Color of Justice events - fostering diversity in the legal profession and judiciary

L to r: Barbara Hood, Alaska Court System Communications Counsel;
UAA Provost "Bear" Baker; UAA Assistant Provost Monica Kane;
and District Court Judge Pamela Washington, Chair,
Anchorage Color of Justice Summer Program.

 Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies Program Coordinator, and Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Justice faculty, presented  at the "Color of Justice:  Fostering Diversity in the Legal Profession and Judiciary ...One Student at a Time" event held June 10-11, 2013 at the UAA Campus and the Boney Courthouse. The program is designed to encourage girls and minority high school students to consider careers in the law and judiciary.

Provost Baker welcomes students to UAA.

 UAA Provost "Bear" Baker welcomed students and volunteer attorneys and judges to the campus. Prof. Periman and Theresa Lyons, UAA New Student Orientation Director, helped kickoff the program with a group activity in which students discussed the qualities that make a good judge.  Prof. Periman and Susan Lee, Gonzaga University School of Law Director of Admissions facilitated "Choose Law: Your Path to a Career in Law & the Judiciary," an interactive session that focused on qualities needed in a judge and the kind of academic and professional preparation and experience that are required.

Prof. Periman, standing center, asks students what qualities they think a judge should have.

Prof. Fortson was one of 11 volunteer lawyers and judges who participated in "MentorJet: A Speed-Mentoring Experience" which provided students the opportunity to talk with diverse Alaska lawyers and judges and learn about the steps to a successful and rewarding career in law.

Prof. Fortson answers students' questions about law school and
being a lawyer or judge.

The second day of the program included presentations on "The Role of Law: The Case of the Million Dollar Painting," "Access to Justice: What Does It Mean?" and "You Be the Judge!" Prof. Fortston was a volunteer attorney mentor/coach for the "Join Your Mock Trial Team" session during which students were given a case file, assigned the role of judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, witness, or juror, and  tried the case. The volunteer attorney mentor/coaches assisted in trial preparation and debriefing.

L to r: Student Kaitlyn Moos, Court Clerk; Student Jackson Blackwell, Presiding Judge; and
Prof. Fortson, volunteer attorney mentor/coach.

The National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) developed this highly effective annual program to encourage girls and minority high school students to consider pursuing careers in the law and judiciary.  Experienced judges and lawyers discuss law school and the requirements for admission, share their experiences including reasons why they chose their careers, and answer questions in groups. Students, judges and lawyers have praised the project, and it has been reproduced successfully nationwide.

Program sponsors include the National Association of Women Judges, the Alaska Court System, the University of Alaska Anchorage, law schools from the Northwest, and other organizations.   The Alaska program was taught by Alaska judges and attorneys and Northwest law school professors.

See a slideshow below.