"60 Years Later: The Alaska Constitution, History in Context" drew over 75 attendees on October 12 at the UAA/APU Consortium Library.
The symposium was co-sponsored by the UAA Justice Center and the
Alaska Law Review in cooperation with the Historians Committee of the Alaska Bar Association. The program was approved for 4.5 CLE credits (including 1.5 Ethics credits) by the Alaska Bar Association.
Prof. Ryan Fortson, J.D., Ph.D., is the Justice Center faculty coordinator for this event.
The topic of this year's symposium was selected in anticipation of the sixtieth anniversary of Alaska statehood. The
Constitution of the State of Alaska was adopted by the Alaska Constitutional Convention February 5, 1956; ratified by the people of Alaska April 24, 1956; and became operative with the formal proclamation of Alaska statehood on January 3, 1959.
 |
Erwin Chemerinsky,
Dean of Berkeley Law |
Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of Berkeley Law, was keynote speaker for the event. Symposium topics included the Alaska Judicial Council and the merit selection of judges, Alaska Native perspectives on Alaska's Constitution, a presentation on unpublished materials written by the late
Judge Thomas B. Stewart — who served as secretary of the Alaska Constitutional Convention —
about the movement for Alaska Statehood and the development of the Alaska Constitution, and a lunchtime conversation between retired
Judge Sen K. Tan and Alaska Constitutional Convention delegate
Vic Fischer.
The
Alaska Law Review will be publishing an issue at a later date with articles prepared for the symposium. The
Alaska Law Review is published by Duke University School of Law for the Alaska Bar Association. Meantime, symposium drafts of conference papers and videos of all sessions are
available for download at the UAA Justice Center website.
 |
| Erwin Chereminksy, Dean, Berkeley Law delivers the keynote address at the Alaska Law Symposium "60 Years Later: The Alaska Constitution, History in Context," 12 Oct 2018. |
 |
| Panel on "A Comparative Persepctive of the Alaska Constitution." Left to right: moderator Tom Metzloff of Duke University and presenters G. Alan Tarr, Rutgers University and Center for State Constitution Studies, and Robert F. Williams, Rutgers School of Lawz |
 |
| Panel on "The Alaska Judicial Council and Merit Selection of Judges." Left to right: Judge Larry Card (ret.) and presenters Susie Mason Dosik, administrative attorney for the Alaska Judicial Council, and Brett Frazer of Latham & Watkins. |
 |
| Prof. Ryan Fortson, UAA Justice Center (right) introduces "A Native Perspective of Alaska's Constitution" panelists (seated left to right): Andy Erickson of Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP, John "Sky" Starkey of Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP, and Willie Hensley, University of Alaska Anchorage. |
 |
| Judge Sen K. Tan (ret.) and Alaska Constitutional Convention delegate Vic Fischer. |
The Alaska Law Review will be publishing an issue at a later date with articles prepared for the symposium. The Alaska Law Review is published by Duke University School of Law for the Alaska Bar Association. Meantime, symposium drafts of conference papers and videos of all sessions are available for download at the UAA Justice Center website.
