Alaska Law Review members gain insight from legal practitioners on trip to Anchorage
The annual fall break trip gives staffers the chance to discuss legal issues affecting Alaska with local practitioners and determine the journal's future direction. They also build in time for sightseeing and fun.
Melinda Xiong ’26 and Catherine Cole ’25
Ten student members of the Alaska Law Review (ALR) spent their fall break in Anchorage connecting with members of the legal community, hosting the journal’s bi-annual symposium, and enjoying the natural beauty of “The Last Frontier.”
Allyson Barkley JD/MPP ’25, Hannah Berg ’25, Cindy Cheng ’25, Catherine Cole ’25, Johanna Crisman ’25, Grace Koh ’26, Caitlyn Leary JD/MPP ’26, Sammy Sawyer ’25, Cara Shanahan ’25, and Melinda Xiong ’26 made the trip, staying with families of Alaska Bar Association members.
The group discussed legal issues in the state and the future direction of the journal with legal professionals including Danielle Bailey, executive director of the Alaska Bar Association; Alex Cleghorn, chief operating officer of the Alaska Native Justice Center; Alaska State Representative Andy Josephson; and Alaska State Senator Bill Wielechowski.
Students also visited the Alaska Supreme Court, where they spoke with Chief Justice Peter J. Maassen and Justices Dario Borghesan and Jennifer S. Henderson, had a lunch meeting with Magistrate Judge Marika Athens of the Third Judicial District, and visited with practitioners at the ACLU of Alaska, Earthjustice, Alaska Legal Services Corporation, Office of Public Advocacy, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richmond.
The Duke Law group also took time to explore Anchorage, visiting the annual Alaska Federation of Natives convention, hiking Flattop Mountain, training with Iditarod Alaskan Huskies, and sampling restaurants across the city.
"ALR's trips to Alaska are an integral part of our work to serve the Alaska Bar Association and its members," said Barkley, the journal's editor in chief.
"The visit to Anchorage gave us an opportunity to learn more about what it means to practice law in Alaska, connect with practitioners who will submit pieces or support student authors, and engage with the most pressing legal issues facing the state. Equally important, we got to experience a bit of Alaska culture and lifestyle by staying with hosts, exploring Anchorage, hiking the state parks, playing with sled dogs, and more."
During the trip the students hosted ALR’s bi-annual symposium at the University of Alaska Anchorage in partnership with the university’s Justice Center and the Alaska Bar Association. The program, themed “Expanding Access to Justice in Alaska,” featured a keynote address by Nikole Nelson, CEO of Frontline Justice, and included panel discussions on topics such as tribal jurisdiction, the role of technology in expanding access to courts, environmental justice, trauma-informed lawyering, and the future of community justice workers. The symposium edition of ALR will be published in December.
The Alaska trips in fall and spring are open to journal members who have written or committed to writing at least one note pertaining to an Alaska-specific legal issue. Typically limited to 3Ls, this year 2Ls were included on the trip for the first time since before the pandemic.
The twice-yearly Alaska Law Review publishes articles on legal issues affecting the State of Alaska. Because there is no law school operating in the state, the Alaska Bar Association selected Duke Law School to publish the review beginning in 1984. The current issue is available on the journal’s website, along with a recording of the 2024 Symposium.
