Cravez speaks at Alaska Bar Convention and Genealogy Society about territorial lawyers

Pamela Cravez, Justice research associate and editor of the Alaska Justice Forum, gave a lunch-time talk at the 2017 Alaska Bar Association Annual Convention in Juneau, May 11, on her recently published book, The Biggest Damned Hat, Tales from Alaska's Territorial Lawyers and Judges. Lawyers and judges at the convention knew many of the territorial lawyers interviewed for the book. Cravez also spoke at the May meeting of the Anchorage Genealogy Society.

Rosay and TePas talk about importance of researcher-practitioner partnership

L-R: Dr. Judith Owens-Manley, director of the Center for
Community Engagement & Learning with Katie TePas
 and Dr. Andre Rosay at Faculty Intensive.

Dr. Andre Rosay, Justice Center director, and Katie TePas, appointed by Governor Sean Parnell as Alaska's first domestic violence and sexual assault response coordinator, spoke about their long-term researcher-practitioner partnership addressing violence against women. TePas was a partner on Dr. Rosay's work with the Alaska State Troopers, then with the Governor's Office on the Choose Respect campaign. They discussed the researcher-practitioner partnership as part of a Faculty Intensive and "Community-Campus Network for Civic Action Symposium" last week.

Dr. Fortson comments on two bills introduced in the Alaska House of Representatives

An Alaska House bill to criminalize abortion would be unconstitutional under both the Alaska and U.S. constitutions, Dr. Ryan Forston told the Alaska Dispatch News recently. House Bill 250 , introduced by Rep. David Eastman (R-Wasilla), would revoke the right of women to obtain abortions under Alaska's constitutional right to privacy. "The intent of the bill seems to be to legislatively outlaw abortion," Dr. Fortson said. "And that is not only a violation of the Alaska Constitution — it would also be against the U.S. Constitution, at least as it's currently interpreted.... The courts won't allow the Legislature to define how a constitutional provision is being interpreted — that's the job of the courts."

House Bill 251, also introduced by Rep. Eastman, would authorize the Alaska Legislature to impeach judges for "exercising legislative power" without judicial review. The Legislature has the power under the Alaska Constitution to impeach judges, according to Dr. Fortson, but "where the limits of that power are is unclear," he said. "If this were passed and the Legislature were to try to exercise it, it's hard to say exactly how it would play out."

According to the article, neither measure is likely to pass.

Read the story:

• "Wasilla Lawmaker's Bill Would Criminalize Abortion"  by Nathaniel Herz.  Alaska Dispatch News, 16 May 2017.

New Society of Law and Justice provides students more opportunities

The Justice Club won a Club Council  award for campus involvement and cooperation among clubs this year. To provide students even greater opportunities in coming years, the Justice Club merged with the Pre-Law Society to form the new Society of Law and Justice.

Students in Justice and Legal Studies often look at law enforcement or law school opportunities, but Justice is much more broad, said Alex Cole, President of the new club.

Alex Cole, President of new Society of Law and Justice, and
Joseph Mizl, Vice President of Legal Studies. Not pictured,
Sevy Sheppard, Vice President of Justice.

Joseph Mizl is the new club's Vice President of Legal Studies and Sevy Sheppard is Vice President of Justice, two positions established by the Society of Law and Justice's constitution.

This summer there will be a few business meetings to talk about campus kick-off and to establish a web presence.

Check out Facebook over the summer for more info.

Academic journal accepts "innovative legal scholarship" from Justice faculty

Dr.Ryan Fortson and Dr. Troy Payne's article, "Lawyering Up: The Effects of Legal Counsel on Outcomes of Custody Determinations," has been accepted for publication in the Winter 2018 issue of the UC Davis Journal of Juvenile Law & Policy (JJLP). The article looks at the impact of legal representation on the type of custody awarded in a two-year sample of cases from the Palmer Superior Court. Referring to the Justice faculty authors' work as "innovative legal scholarship," JJLP editors added that they were equally impressed with the authors' experience and credentials. The JJLP is a nationally recognized journal that regularly consults with and publishes the work of excellent scholars, community advocates and practitioners.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason provides feedback to students

Prof. Ryan Fortson and U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason
(Photo by Prof. Kirstin Knudsen)

U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason, the first female federal judge for the District of Alaska, listened to oral arguments by students in Prof. Ryan Fortson's Trial and Advanced Litigation Processes (LEGL A487) final exam on Friday, May 5. The students had drafted a legal memorandum of law and proposed order - similar to a pleading which would be filed in court – on a hypothetical motion before the court and defended their briefing to Judge Gleason, who provided feedback.

Dr. Rosay appears on Frontiers episode highlighting Choose Respect Campaign

Dr. Andre Rosay, Justice Center director, appeared on a recent episode of "Frontiers" on KTVA CBS 11 with Rhonda McBride to talk about results from the 2015 Alaska Victimization Survey for which he is principal investigator. He talked about how rates of domestic violence and sexual assault have gone down since the 2010 Survey, but that they are still very high in Alaska. The Frontiers episode highlighted how one community - Old Harbor in Kodiak -- is addressing domestic violence and sexual assault by embracing the Choose Respect Campaign begun by Gov. Sean Parnell. Children and adults in Old Harbor are integrating Choose Respect in cultural celebrations.

• "Frontiers, Episode 105: Choose Respect Marches On" (includes video 28:21) by Rhonda McBride.  KTVA CBS 11 News, Apr 30, 2017.

Justice faculty celebrate 2017 graduates

Justice faculty L-R: Dr. Brad Myrstol, Prof. Deborah Periman, Dr. Ron Everett, Dr. Marny Rivera, Dr. Cory Lepage,
 Dr. Allan Barnes, Prof. Kristin Knudsen, Dr. Andre Rosay, and Dr. Sharon Chamard. Not pictured: Prof. Ryan Fortson,
 who was performing on the French horn in the pit orchestra during UAA's Commencement. Sunday, May 7.

Congratulations 2017 graduates! Best wishes on your future success!

Congratulations to 2017 Justice and Legal Studies grads!

Join us in congratulating our 2017 UAA Justice Center graduates! This year, 31 students earned a degree in Justice, 15 with Honors having a GPA of 3.5 or above. A dozen students graduated in the Legal Studies program, three with Honors. We are very proud of our students and their accomplishments! Best wishes on their future success!

Dr. Barnes demonstrates new online crime data platform

Dr. Tom Elton, acting Russian Jack
Rotary President, and Dr. Allan Barnes at Russian Jack Rotary.

Dr. Allan Barnes, Justice faculty, demonstrated how to use the Anchorage Police Department's new online crime data platform at Russian Jack Rotary's weekly meeting.  He also discussed the recent apparent rise in violent crime in Anchorage and distributed the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center's (AJSAC) Fact Sheets on violent and property crime in Alaska.  He concluded his presentation with an online demonstration of how Rotarians could establish a Neighborhood Crime Watch.  UAA Chancellor Tom Case was among Rotarians present for Dr. Barnes' presentation.