The Justice Center will be participating once again in the upcoming "Color of Justice" event on February 25 and 26 in Anchorage.The "Color of Justice" program is designed to foster diversity in the legal profession and judiciary by encouraging youth from varied backgrounds and ethnicities to consider careers as lawyers and judges . The program is presented by the National Association of Women Judges, the Alaska Bar Association, the Alaska Court System, Pacific Northwest law schools, and other sponsors.
This year's event has a new component - the Rural Student Initiative- sponsored by all the regional Alaska Native corporations. With funding and coordination from the corporations, about 40 high school students from villages around the state are being flown to Anchorage for the two-day "Color of Justice" program and will be staying with host families. As part of the Rural Student Initiative, these high school students have been invited to the UAA campus prior to the start of "Color of Justice." The Justice Center is coordinating this event which will include presentations at the UAA Multicultural Center and the Alaska Native Student Center about academic and other programs for Native and minority students at UAA, a tour of the campus, and lunch with UAA students from the Pre-Law Society, ANSEP, and the Native Student Council.
The rural high school students will be joining about 50 other local Anchorage-area high school students at the Boney Courthouse for the "Color of Justice" program to hear presentations on law school, meet with volunteer legal community and judiciary mentors, and participate in a mock trial.
Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., and Prof. Deb Periman, J.D., Legal Studies faculty in the Justice Center, serve on the "Color of Justice" organizing committee. Prof. Fortson, Prof. Periman, Prof. Jason Brandeis, J.D., and Prof. Kristin Knudsen, J.D., will all be participating in the mock trial and other presentations.
