Prof. Kristin Knudsen Latta, J.D., Justice Center Legal Studies faculty, has had an article published in the June 2014 issue of the Alaska Law Review. The article is titled, "The Role of Non-Lawyers on Administrative Tribunals: What Lay Members Think About Law, Lawyers, and Their Own Participation in Alaska’s Mixed Administrative Tribunals."
Prof. Knudsen conducted the first survey study of Alaska non-lawyer members who serve on adjudicatory tribunals, and examined the members' perspective of serving on tribunals. In this article, she describes her research which focused on tribunals' gender and ethnic diversity, members' understanding of fairness and impartiality, their duties and training, and the relationship of non-lawyer members with administrative law judges. Among her findings, she noted that citizens appointed to quasi-judicial boards and commissions take their role in forming the law of their tribunal seriously, but report the need for more training. Her article includes recommendations for training, recruitment, and diversity in appointments.
