Friday, October 31, 2014

Prof. Brandeis publishes article in Alaska Bar Rag on history of Alaska's marijuana laws

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, had an article on the history of Alaska marijuana law published in the July-September 2014 issue of the Alaska Bar Rag, the official publication of the Alaska Bar Association.

"Ravin revisited: A brief recap of Alaska's unique marijuana law" by Jason Brandeis.

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on American government, constitutional law and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal issues. Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he provided legal representation in administrative agency proceedings for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Dr. Blumenstein presents at Society for the Study of Social Problems

Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice faculty, co-presented at the Society for the Study of Social Problems annual meeting in August in San Francisco, with Jason A. Ford, University of Central Florida.

Their topic was “Depression and Substance Use: The Moderating Influence of Social Class.”

The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) is an interdisciplinary community of scholars, practitioners, advocates, and students interested in the application of critical, scientific, and humanistic perspectives to the study of vital social problems

Alaska Victimization Study cited in LA Times article about U.S. Senate seat campaign in Alaska

Statistics from the Alaska Victimization Survey statewide estimates from 2010 were cited in a recent article in the Los Angeles Times.

The article noted, "Nearly 60% of all women in Alaska have been victims of rape or domestic violence or both in their lifetimes, according to a study by the Justice Center at the University of Alaska Anchorage, whose researchers say the results could be conservative."

Read the full article:
"Violence against women emerges as key campaign issue in Alaska" by Maria L. La Ganga. Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct 2014.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Dr. Payne moderates panel November 5 on "Stopped by Police?" - learn about your rights, what to expect and say

Dr. Troy Payne, Justice faculty, moderates a panel - "Stopped by Police?" -  on Wednesday, November 5, co-sponsored by the Anchorage Community Police Relations Task Force, the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, the Anchorage Police Department, and the UAA Justice Center.

What: "Stopped by Police?"
Date: Wednesday, November 5
Time: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Place: UAA/APU Consortium Library, LIB 307
Parking: Free in Library surface lots and East Garage by Conoco-Phillips Integrated Sciences Building

Experts from the Anchorage Police Department and the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska will discuss the topics below and answer questions from the audience:
  • What to expect
  • What to say
  • What are my rights?
  • Can an officer search my car?
  • Do passengers have to provide ID?
  • When can officers pull me over?
  • Why do officers always shine their flashlight in my eyes?

Join us at the Justice Center for pizza and academic advising on Wednesday, November 5!

2013 Pizza Party

Justice and Legal Studies students, alums, and faculty are invited for pizza and academic advising!


What: Pizza and Advising!
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Time: 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Place: Justice Center, Consortium Library, 2nd flr, LIB 213

  • Drop in for pizza and soft drinks.
  • Meet your advisors, professors, and fellow students.
  • Get answers to advising questions.
  • Plan your spring schedule.
Hope to see you Wednesday!

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Podcast available of Prof. Fortson and panel discussing climate change impact, environmental law and Alaska Natives, climate change adaptation

Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, was a panelist at the UAA Bookstore event, UAA Distance Education Faculty: Alaska and the Environment, held October 21, 2014.

Davin Holen, UAA Dept. of Anthropology, and Lia Slemons, UAA Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies, joined Prof. Fortson in a discussion of environmental change, climate change adaption, and environmental law and Alaska Natives. 

Access the podcast on iTunes here.
(Prof. Fortson's presentation begins at 1:15 on the podcast.)

Dr. Rivera presents to Division of Behavioral Health grantees about research on substance abuse

Dr. Rivera (far right at head table) discusses her research on underage drinking.
Dr. Marny Rivera, Justice faculty, presented at the Alaska Division of Behavioral Health Annual Prevention Grantee Conference on September 25.

She participated in the "Policy and Enforcement: Tales from Alaskan Communities" panel which looked at policy, enforcement, research, and the challenges and successes related to managing alcohol use and abuse in Alaska.

Dr. Rivera discussed research on Alaska’s alcohol control policies and enforcement of them. Her areas of expertise include underage drinking and substance abuse as well as the co-occurrence of substance abuse with child maltreatment, and violence against women.







AJSAC Fact Sheets added to National Criminal Justice Reference Service online index

The Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC) Fact Sheets, "Firearm Use in Violent Crime in the U.S. and Alaska, 1980-2011," and "Violent Crime Arrests in Alaska," by Dr. Brad Myrstol, AJSAC Director, have been added to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) online index.

Click here for all AJSAC publications.
 

 

Monday, October 27, 2014

AJSAC creates electronic archive of searchable copies of Alaska uniform crime report publications

As a community service, the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC) has converted hard copies of Alaska's uniform crime report publications from 1976 through 1999 into searchable PDF documents. These Crime in Alaska reports are now available on the AJSAC websiteThis electronic archive provides accessibility to important historical crime statistics for researchers and members of the public, fulfilling part of the mission of the AJSAC.

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is the starting place for law enforcement executives, students of criminal justice, researchers, members of the media, and the public at large seeking information on crime in the nation. The program was conceived in 1929 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police to meet the need for reliable uniform crime statistics for the nation. In 1930, the FBI was tasked with collecting, publishing, and archiving those statistics nationally.

Since 1982, the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS), Division of Statewide Services (DSS), has administered the UCR program for Alaska.The Criminal Records and Identification Bureau (CRIB), located within the DSS, collects, tabulates, reports, and publishes UCR data submitted by Alaska law enforcement agencies.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

UAA/APU Books of the Year author Blaine Harden speaks at UAA October 22

Author Blaine Harden
Blaine Harden, author of Escape from Camp 14, one of the UAA/APU Books of the Year, will speak to Justice/Legal Studies students in classes taught by Prof. Deb. Periman, J.D., and Dr. Ron Everett, Justice faculty, on Wednesday, October 21, at 8:30 a.m. in SSB 211.  Mr. Harden will speak about his book and related international human rights law issues.

About the book: Shin Dong-hyuk was born in a completely isolated North Korean prison camp, lived in extreme information deprivation for over 20 years, and is one of the very few inmates who have escaped. Shin knew nothing of contemporary existence--all information about history and the outside world was a systematic barrage of untruths. Through the lens of Shin's life, journalist Blaine Harden shows the impact of information on our lives, both for good and for ill. 

Blaine Harden is an American author and journalist. For 28 years, he worked for The Washington Post as a correspondent in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia, as well as in New York and Seattle. For four years, he was a local and national correspondent for The New York Times and a writer for the Times Magazine. He has also reported for PBS Frontline, The Economist, Foreign Policy, National Geographic and the Guardian. His latest book is The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot.

 The UAA/APU Books of the Year program, part of the Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues Project, encourages faculty to integrate into their curriculum books selected for their relevance and timeliness.

The 2013-2015 UAA/APU Books of the Year are The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone and Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West.

Together these books question the power of ideas and ideology to shape our realities,and emphasize the importance of critically assessing the validity of information.

Don't miss the October 22nd 6th annual Women in Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair at UAA Student Union

Are you interested in an exciting career in law enforcement, 
but don’t know who to ask, where to start or what to do?
Come to the Recruitment Fair! 

Date:  Wednesday, October 22
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Where:  UAA Student Union, Upper Level  next to the Wells Fargo Sports Complex
Parking: Free
Everyone is welcome to attend.

  • Come by the 6th annual Women in Law Enforcement Recruitment Fair to learn about the tremendous rewards offered by the field, as well as how to get started. 
  • Representatives from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies will be present to discuss opportunities with you in a casual setting.
  • Law enforcement agencies are actively recruiting for female officers.

Sponsored by:
with the support of 
UAA Justice Center

For more information, contact Danica Bryant, UAA Career Services Center, 786-4513 dmbryant2@uaa.alaska.edu

Monday, October 20, 2014

Dr. Myrstol presents violence against women research at Shepherd's Care Forum

Dr. Myrstol discusses findings from the Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS).
Dr. Brad Myrstol, Justice faculty and Director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC), presented research on violence against women in Alaska at the recent Shepherd's Care Forum. The September 19 event was sponsored by the Church of Anchorage and held at the State Crime Lab. Dr. Myrstol presented findings from the Alaska Victimization Survey, which is an ongoing survey conducted by the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA) and the UAA Justice Center.

Lauree Morton presents information on victim services.
Lauree Morton, Executive Director of the CDVSA, also spoke at the forum, and presented information on the resources and services available statewide for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The forum's organizers noted that the goal of the forum was to better equip faith leaders to provide needed care for those suffering from issues of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to discover and connect them with resources  for victims in the Anchorage area.  Attendance included 67 individuals, representing 40 faith-based organizations and/or collaborating resource agencies.

Justice Alumni Chapter president attends UAA Building Futures scholarship fundraiser

Beth Mader, President of the Justice Alumni Chapter, attended the September 7 Building Futures Dinner held in the Alaska Airlines Center.  This event celebrated the grand opening of the new center, with proceeds supporting the Athletic Excellence Fund at the UA Foundation.

Read about it in the Green & Gold News.

L to r: Chancellor Tom Case and
Beth Mader, Justice Alumni Chapter
President, at the Building Futures Dinner.
Taking a moment for a photo, (l to r) Beth Mader,
Justice Alumni Chapter President; Rachel Morse, Assistant
Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations; and Nona Wilson,
Senior Alumni Relations Specialist.

Friday, October 17, 2014

AJSAC to make archived Crime in Alaska publications available online

The Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center (AJSAC) is currently working to create an online repository for Alaska’s uniform crime reporting (UCR) statistics by converting hard copies of Crime in Alaska publications into searchable PDF documents.  This AJSAC project is an effort to make existing Alaska justice data more widely accessible to the public.

The archived data includes Crime in Alaska publications from 1976-1999. Copies of Crime in Alaska for 2000-present are available online at the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) website : http://dps.alaska.gov/Statewide/UCR.aspx

The project is scheduled to be completed by November 1, with searchable PDFs available online at: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/alaskajusticestatisticalanalysiscenter/ucr.cfm
Donté Powell holds some of the
hard copies of crime data for Alaska
that he is scanning for an online repository.

Khristy Parker, AJSAC Research Professional, is supervising this project. Volunteer and Justice alum, DontĂ© Powell, BA Justice ’14, is assisting. DontĂ© is in the process of testing to join a law enforcement agency.  He hopes to get some experience in the field and then become a crime analyst.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Don't miss the October 16 North to the Future Symposium at UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 307!


Fran Ulmer
Fran Ulmer, former UAA Chancellor and Special Advisor to the U.S. State Department on Arctic Science and Policy, is the opening keynote for the upcoming Alaska Law Review symposium - "North to the Future: Opportunities and Change in Alaska's Emerging Frontiers."

Dr. William Iggiagruk Hensley, Visiting Distinguished Professor, UAA College of Business and Public Policy, will give the luncheon keynote.

William Hensley
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2014
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Place: UAA/APU Consortium Library LIB 307
Cost:   FREE
Parking: Free in the large lot by the Alaska Airlines Center - across the street from the Library.

Agenda and materials are on the Justice Center website.

Rapidly evolving changes in Alaska and the Arctic present challenges to Alaska's leaders and institutions in addressing the legal issues associated with economic development, climate change, and social and cultural impacts. This symposium starts a conversation about these issues.


Panel topics include:
  • "Alaska Native Participation in the Territorial Governance of the North"
  • "Managing the Multinational Development of the Arctic North"
  • "Regulatory Oversight of Alaska's Arctic Shores"
 This event is sponsored by the Alaska Law Review, the Arctic Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association, and the UAA Justice Center.  Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, is the faculty advisor for this event.

The Alaska Law Review is published by Duke University School of Law for the Alaska Bar Association.

The Alaska Bar Association has approved this symposium for 4.5 hours of general CLE credit.

For information, contact Prof. Ryan Fortson, hrfortson@uaa.alaska.edu

Alaska Law Review article by Prof. Brandeis quoted in Washington Post

The Alaska Law Review article, "The Continuing Vitality of Ravin v. State: Alaskans Still Have a Constitutional Right to Possess Marijuana in the Privacy of Their Homes," by Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, was quoted in a Washington Post article by Christopher Ingraham in his Wonkblog.

 Mr. Ingraham noted, "Alaskans can currently lawfully possess up to four ounces of marijuana in their homes for personal use [and cultivate up to 25 plants], but still risk prosecution under existing state and federal statutes," concludes University of Alaska law professor Jason Brandeis in an exhaustive history of Alaska marijuana law (which makes for a pretty interesting read if you're into such things)."


Read the full article here: "Alaska legalized weed 39 years ago. Wait, what?" by Christopher Ingraham. 24 Sept 2014, Washington Post Wonkblog 

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on American government, constitutional law and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal issues. Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he provided legal representation in administrative agency proceedings for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Research by Prof. Brandeis cited during Common Ground program about marijuana legalization ballot measure 2

Research by Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, was cited by moderator, Steve Mac Donald, during a Common Ground program on the marijuana legalization initiative.

Mr. Mac Donald cited research in Prof. Brandeis' article, "The Continuing Vitality of Ravin v. State: Alaskans Still Have a Constitutional Right to Possess Marijuana in the Privacy of Their Homes,"  published in the December 2012 issue of the Alaska Law Review.

The article addresses the unique history and case law surrounding the Alaska Constitution's right to privacy and how it applies to private, personal marijuana use.

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on American government, constitutional law and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal issues. Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he provided legal representation in administrative agency proceedings for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.

Click here to access the podcast and the video of this event:
 Alaska Common Ground Summer Ballot Measure Series: Marijuana Legalization Initiative. 6 Aug 2014.




Prof. Periman and Dr. Magen co-present at new faculty orientation about Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence programs

L to r: Prof. Periman and Dr. Magen talk to new faculty
about the Making Learning Visible program.
Dr. Randy Magen, School of Social Work, and Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies Program Coordinator in the Justice Center, co-presented at the new faculty orientation held at the beginning of the fall 2014 semester and sponsored by the Center for Adevancing Faculty Excellence (CAFE). They introduced new faculty to the Making Learning Visible - the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Faculty Learning Community at UAA.

Prof. Periman also presented an overview of the Center for Community Engagement and Learning (CCEL) and faculty resources available to support service learning at UAA.


Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, new Justice faculty, at the orientation.

Prof. Brandeis interviewed by KTVA CBS Ch 11 News for news segments on same-sex marriage cases

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, was interviewed by KTVA CBS Ch 11 News for several news segments about same-sex marriage cases in the United States Supreme Court, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Federal District Court of Alaska.

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

See the video clips here:

"Federal judge: Alaska's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional." KTVA CBS Ch 11 News, 12 Oct 2014

"9th Circuit Court ruling could lift Alaska's same-sex marriage ban."  KTVA CBS Ch 11 News, 7 Oct 2014

 "Supreme Court turns away same-sex marriage cases," reported by Stephanie Condon. KTVA CBS Ch 11 News, 6 Oct 2014

Monday, October 13, 2014

Oct 16 symposium at UAA on opportunities and change in Alaska's emerging frontiers

Fran Ulmer
Fran Ulmer, former UAA Chancellor and Special Advisor to the U.S. State Department on Arctic Science and Policy, is the opening keynote for the upcoming Alaska Law Review symposium - "North to the Future: Opportunities and Change in Alaska's Emerging Frontiers."

Dr. William Iggiagruk Hensley, Visiting Distinguished Professor, UAA College of Business and Public Policy, will give the luncheon keynote. 


William Hensley
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2014
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Place: UAA/APU Consortium Library LIB 307
Cost:   FREE
Parking: Free in the large lot by the Alaska Airlines Center - across the street from the Library.

Rapidly evolving changes in Alaska and the Arctic present challenges to Alaska's leaders and institutions in addressing the legal issues associated with economic development, climate change, and social and cultural impacts. This symposium starts a conversation about these issues.



Panel topics include:
  • "Alaska Native Participation in the Territorial Governance of the North"
  • "Managing the Multinational Development of the Arctic North"
  • "Regulatory Oversight of Alaska's Arctic Shores"

This event is sponsored by the Alaska Law Review, the Arctic Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association, and the UAA Justice Center.  Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, is the faculty advisor for this event.

The Alaska Law Review is published by Duke University School of Law for the Alaska Bar Association.

The Alaska Bar Association has approved this symposium for 4.5 hours of general CLE credit.

For information, contact Prof. Ryan Fortson, hrfortson@uaa.alaska.edu

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Sam Erickson, Pre-Law Society member, and his teammate win the 2014 Madison Cup

L t r: German Banquero and Sam Erickson just after
correctly answering the final question in the
2014 Madison Cup and securing the championship.
Sam Erickson, Pre-Law Society member, and German Banquero were the team winners of the 2014 Madison Cup competition held in September.  This is an annual event sponsored by the UAA Department of Political Science to test students' knowledge of the U.S. Constitution.  Five teams participated in the competition this year.

One of the many remarkable moments during the competition happened when a judge requested Team Number One - Banquero and Erickson - to expand on a question asking what the goals of the Constitution are. In unison, the teammates recited the Preamble to the United States Constitution. (They repeated the performance again after the competition – watch it on YouTube.)

First-place winners German Baquero and Sam Erickson each received a copy of The Heritage Guide to the Constitution and an engraved mug. The second-place finishers, Hans and Karl Rodvick, each received a copy of the Constitution and a gift certificate to the UAA Campus Bookstore.

For additional information about the Madison Cup, visit the Department of Political Science website.

Read the full story in the September 24, Green & Gold News:
"Congratulations to 2014 Madison Cup winners German Banquero and Sam Erickson"

 
The first and second place teams (far right and left) with the four
competition judges.

Dr. Blumenstein featured in Seawolf Weekly article about affordable housing in Anchorage

Dr. Lindsey Blumenstein, Justice faculty, is featured in an article about affordable housing in Anchorage in the October 8 UAA Seawolf Weekly.  Dr. Blumenstein joined the Justice faculty this fall and moved here from Florida.

She was interviewed about her difficulties in finding an apartment that fit within her budget.  Dr. Blumenstein noted that high rents are a big issue for students also, “I know a lot of my students work full time and go to school, pay these astronomical prices for rent."

Read the article here:
"Untangling the problem of affordable housing" by Tracy Kalytiak. UAA Seawolf Weekly, 8 Oct 2014.

Justice Center participates in UAA Law School Fair

District Court Judge Pamela Washington (2nd from left)
and prospective law students at the Alaska Court System exhibit.
Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies Program Coordinator in the Justice Center, assisted with the UAA Law School Fair on September 17, 2014 at the UAA Student Union.

The Alaska Court System was one of the participants in the event, along with over 20 law schools.



L to r: District Court Judge Pamela Washington; Prof. Deb Periman, J.D.,
Justice Center; Mara Rabinowitz, Alaska Court System Communications Counsel;
Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., Justice Center.

UAA Law School Fair 2014 Exhibitors:
  • Alaska Court System
  • Gonzaga University School of Law
  • Hofstra University-Maurice A. Deane School of Law
  • Lewis & Clark Law School
  • Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
  • Northeastern University School of Law
  • Penn State Law
  • Seattle University School of Law
  • The University of Texas School of Law
  • The University of Wyoming College of Law
  • UAA Justice Center
  • University of Denver Sturm College of Law
  • University of Idaho College of Law
  • University of Montana School of Law
  • University of Oregon School of Law
  • University of the Pacific
  • University of Washington School of Law
  • Vermont Law School
  • Western New England University School of Law
  • Whittier Law School
  • Widener University School of Law
  • Willamette University College of Law
  • William Mitchell College of Law

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Dr. Rosay interviewed by newsminer.com about high rate of violence against women in Alaska

Dr. AndrĂ© Rosay, Justice Center director, was recently interviewed by Casey Grove of newsminer.com about the high number of women murdered in Alaska.  Dr. Rosay referenced the 2010 Statewide Alaska Victimization Survey and noted, "...the bottom line is that the rates of violence against women are terrible everywhere, throughout Alaska.”

"Alaska tops list for women murdered by men," by Casey Grove. newsminer.com, Sep 16, 2014.

Prof. Brandeis to moderate presentations on marijuana legalization at Bear Tooth Theatrepub October 10

Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, will moderate "One Course Discourse: Marijuana Legalization" on Friday, October 10.

Date: Friday, October 10, 2014
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. -- Discourse begins at 12:05 p.m.
Place: Bear Tooth Theatrepub
Cost: Free admission

There will be multiple presentations to promote discussion of marijuana law and policy and what legalization would mean for Alaska.

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on American government, constitutional law and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal issues. Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he provided legal representation in administrative agency proceedings for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.

This event is presented by the Bear Tooth Theatrepub.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Dr. Chamard interviewed by newsminer.com about difficulty with polling and surveys in Alaska

Dr. Sharon Chamard, Justice faculty, was interviewed by Casey Grove of newsminer.com about the difficulty of polling and conducting surveys in Alaska. She noted that high rates of residential transiency in Alaska can make obtaining adequately-sized samples difficult.  Dr. Chamard also commented that "respondent fatigue" can affect response rates for phone polls when individuals tire of receiving these calls and no longer answer their phone.

"Polling a tough - and often inaccurate - task for Alaska," by Casey Grove.  Sep 17, 2014, newsminer.com