Prof. Brandeis presents at Cannibis Law Institute in Denver

Prof. Jason Brandeis, Legal Studies faculty,  provided a perspective on Alaska marijuana law and regulations at the Cannabis Law Institute in Denver, Colorado, July 28-29.  Presented by the National Cannabis Bar Association and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, the two-day event focused on legal issues facing attorneys and businesses in the cannabis industry. Prof. Brandeis was invited to participate in a panel discussion of the laws and regulatory systems of the western states. He gave an overview of Alaska's regulatory and licensing framework and the unique challenges and controversies the industry faces in Alaska.

Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on the American legal system, constitutional law, and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal topics.  Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which he advises clients on marijuana law and policy questions.  He has also provided legal services to the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska

Alumni Spotlight: Kelsey Waldorf, B.A. Justice 2013, J.D. 2017

Kelsey Waldorf, B.A. Justice 2013, graduated from University of Colorado Law School in May 2017. Tomorrow she takes the Colorado bar exam and then she'll do some traveling before beginning a fellowship in September.

Wolf Law Building, University of Colorado Law School,
(By Bildungsroman - Own work,  CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10787028)

Kelsey entered law school well-prepared by her education at UAA. While working toward her B.A. in Justice, she was in the University Honors College, a Forty-Ninth State Fellow, and traveled the world as a competitive debater in the Seawolf Debate program. In addition to Justice coursework, she worked as a student researcher on a project with the Alaska State Troopers and Anchorage Police Department. In 2013, Kelsey delivered the student speech at commencement.

This September, Kelsey will begin a year-long fellowship as a deputy district attorney in a rural town in southern Colorado. The purpose of the fellowship is to encourage recent graduates to work in rural areas which have trouble drawing legal professionals because of low pay and under staffing. During her fellowship she will most likely specialize in sexual assault cases, she wrote in an email.

After her fellowship, Kelsey plans to return to the metro area in Colorado and work as a deputy district attorney for a year or two before applying to become an FBI agent — a goal she's long held.

Prof. Ryan Fortson presents at AYC summer leadership program

Prof. Ryan Fortson

Prof. Ryan Fortson, Justice faculty, discussed Alaska Native Rights and Tribal Courts with students participating in the Anchorage Youth Court's Summer Law & Leadership Program this week.

The program, which runs from July 10 to August 4, provides youths entering 9th grade with daily sessions on freedom of speech, criminal justice rights, alternative dispute resolution, mock trials, and field trips to courts, Anchorage Police Department and the Alaska State Crime Lab.

The goal of the program is to provide students with skills that will help them better advocate for themselves and others and be a force for the change they want to see in the world.

Abuse of older women, lack of psychiatric beds, among articles in summer 2017 Alaska Justice Forum

Newly redesigned Alaska Justice Forum print and expanded web 2017 summer editions are now available. Articles include:

Print and web editions of Alaska Justice Forum

• Abuse Faced by Older Alaskan Women - by Andre Rosay
• L.Diane Casto and Andre Rosay Talk About Elder Abuse - video
• Consequences of Alaska's Lack of Psychiatric Beds - by Pamela Cravez
• Community Solutions to Liquor Store Problem - by Sharon Chamard (web edition exclusive)
• Justice Center Director Farewell - by Andre Rosay (web edition exclusive)
• New Alaska Justice Forum Editor Note - by Pamela Cravez

The Alaska Justice Forum is returning to quarterly publication. To make this possible, the Forum is limiting mailed delivery of the print edition and enhancing its web presence with expanded and updated print edition stories as well as articles and content exclusive to the web. Sign up to get delivery of the Alaska Justice Forum.

Rosay appointed associate dean in College of Health, Myrstol interim Justice Center director

Dr. Andre Rosay, newly
appointed associate dean
for academic and student affairs
in the College of Health

Dr. Brad Myrstol appointed
interim Justice Center director

Dr. André Rosay, Justice Center director since 2007, has been appointed associate dean for academic and student affairs in the College of Health. Dr. Rosay bids farewell to the Justice Center here.

Dr. Brad Myrstol, director of the Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center and the Alaska Justice Information Center, has been appointed interim director of the Justice Center.

Dr. Myrstol received his Ph.D in Criminal Justice from Indiana University in 2006. He has served as the principal or co-principal investigator on a variety of Alaska justice topics including the offending trajectories of juveniles, the criminal case processing of domestic violence, sexual assault and sexual abuse of a minor cases, the role and impact of Alaska’s Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) program on the state’s response to domestic violence and sexual assault, sex offender recidivism trajectories, sexual violence victimization among university students, the structure and organization of policing in Alaska, as well as factors impacting charging, time-to-disposition, and sentencing outcomes in felony cases.

While at UAA, Dr. Myrstol has received over $1 million in research funding from sources including the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, as well as Alaska state and local agencies.

Dr. Myrstol is currently the principal investigator on Alaska's Results First Initiative, a partnership with the Pew-MacArthur Trust that provides analysis of evidence-based programs giving policymakers  a tool to better understand the relationship between the state’s monetary investment in programs and the return on that investment in terms of the benefits of reduced recidivism.

A nationwide search for a new director will be launched in the future.

Alaska Justice Forum new design and web edition

The Alaska Justice Forum, a publication of the Justice Center at UAA, has a new look and new web presence. We are phasing out hard copies and moving toward online delivery with more articles and updated stories. The Summer 2017 edition is coming soon. Sign up here.

Cravez elected secretary of NAMI Anchorage board

Pamela Cravez, Alaska Justice Forum editor and Justice Center research associate, was elected secretary of the NAMI (National Allliance on Mental Illness) Anchorage board at the annual membership meeting in May. Cravez has served on the NAMI Anchorage board since 2016. NAMI Anchorage, one of four NAMI Alaska affiliates, provides education and support for families and individuals experiencing mental illness. Juneau, Fairbanks, and Barrow also have NAMI Alaska affiliates.

Senior Voice highlights Rosay research on abuse of older Alaskan women

The July issue of Senior Voice features  research conducted by Dr. Andre Rosay, Justice Center director, on the prevalence of psychological and physical abuse among Alaskan women aged 60 and older.  According to Dr. Rosay's research, one in nine Alaska women aged 60 and older experienced psychological or physical abuse in the past year.  Results are based upon the Alaska Victimization Survey (AVS), an annual survey conducted from 2010 through 2015 by the Justice Center and funded by the Alaska Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Dr. Rosay is the principal investigator for the survey.

Dr. Rosay used data from both a state survey (AVS) and national survey (National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey), and found Alaska rates for psychological and physical abuse higher than the national rates.

A more comprehensive article on Dr. Rosay's research appears in the Summer edition of the Alaska Justice Forum, published later this month. Sign up to receive the summer edition of the Forum at http://eepurl.com/cDlViD.