Lawyers in Alaska

The judicial system in Alaska is multi-layered. It is distributed among a robust network of appellate courts and trial courts. The appellate court system has two layers: the Supreme Court of Alaska and the Court of Appeals. Similarly, the process of the trial courts is distributed among the Superior and the District Court. 

The District Court hears cases relating to misdemeanors, violation of city and borough ordinances, domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, etc. District court’s jurisdiction limits itself to hearing civil cases valued up to $100,000 and small-claims cases valued up to $10,000. Some of the cases that qualify for an appeal in a higher court moves to the Superior court. 

Apart from acting as the trial court for both criminal and civil cases, the Superior Court hears cases that pertain to divorce and custody, child abuse and neglect, property disputes, etc. 

The criminal appeals that do not get resolved in the Superior Court go for hearing in the Court of Appeals. Sometimes criminal appeals are directly referred from the District Court to the Court of Appeals. The cases that could not be concluded in the Court of Appeals moves to the Supreme Court. 

The Supreme Court of Alaska, the final appellate jurisdiction in all civil and criminal cases, clears up all unresolved matters that came from the lower courts. Alongside, the Supreme Court also has the exclusive jurisdiction to preside over cases relating to bar admissions, attorney discipline, questions of state law, etc. 

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alaska is responsible for all matters relating to court administration. However, the responsibilities are delegated to the Administrative Director.

There are more than 4,600 registered lawyers in the Alaska Bar Association. However, not all of them are active. Currently, there are 2,340 active lawyers in the state of Alaska. Out of the 2,340, 967 are female attorneys active within the state. The third judicial district has the highest concentration of active lawyers in Alaska. The number of lawyers in the judicial districts 1,2,3 and 4 is 269, 22, 1829, and 220 respectively. 

The Alaska Bar Association helps the general public in ways more than one to access the benefits of legal services. Apart from making legal resources available for everyone, the Bar Association also provides lawyer referral services and addresses issues relating to complaints against the attorneys, attorney fee disputes, and lawyers’ fund for client protection.

The Alaska Judicial Services also has several voluntary legal service providers who make quality legal services available for people belonging to low-income groups and underprivileged communities. The Alaska Legal Services Corporation, Alaska Immigration Justice, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, Disability Law Center, and Law Project for Psychiatric Rights are some such organizations helping out people in Alaska who can not afford high-quality legal services.

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The judicial system in Alaska is multi-layered. It is distributed among a robust network of appellate courts and trial courts. The appellate court system has two layers: the Supreme Court of Alaska and the Court of Appeals. Similarly, the process of the trial courts is distributed among the Superior and the District Court. 

The District Court hears cases relating to misdemeanors, violation of city and borough ordinances, domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, etc. District court’s jurisdiction limits itself to hearing civil cases valued up to $100,000 and small-claims cases valued up to $10,000. Some of the cases that qualify for an appeal in a higher court moves to the Superior court. 

Apart from acting as the trial court for both criminal and civil cases, the Superior Court hears cases that pertain to divorce and custody, child abuse and neglect, property disputes, etc. 

The criminal appeals that do not get resolved in the Superior Court go for hearing in the Court of Appeals. Sometimes criminal appeals are directly referred from the District Court to the Court of Appeals. The cases that could not be concluded in the Court of Appeals moves to the Supreme Court. 

The Supreme Court of Alaska, the final appellate jurisdiction in all civil and criminal cases, clears up all unresolved matters that came from the lower courts. Alongside, the Supreme Court also has the exclusive jurisdiction to preside over cases relating to bar admissions, attorney discipline, questions of state law, etc. 

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alaska is responsible for all matters relating to court administration. However, the responsibilities are delegated to the Administrative Director.

There are more than 4,600 registered lawyers in the Alaska Bar Association. However, not all of them are active. Currently, there are 2,340 active lawyers in the state of Alaska. Out of the 2,340, 967 are female attorneys active within the state. The third judicial district has the highest concentration of active lawyers in Alaska. The number of lawyers in the judicial districts 1,2,3 and 4 is 269, 22, 1829, and 220 respectively. 

The Alaska Bar Association helps the general public in ways more than one to access the benefits of legal services. Apart from making legal resources available for everyone, the Bar Association also provides lawyer referral services and addresses issues relating to complaints against the attorneys, attorney fee disputes, and lawyers’ fund for client protection.

The Alaska Judicial Services also has several voluntary legal service providers who make quality legal services available for people belonging to low-income groups and underprivileged communities. The Alaska Legal Services Corporation, Alaska Immigration Justice, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, Disability Law Center, and Law Project for Psychiatric Rights are some such organizations helping out people in Alaska who can not afford high-quality legal services.

Are You Looking For a Lawyer? Fill This Form to Contact a Lawyer Near You:

Your email address