Report on the Clerkship Program

Abstract

There is no law school in Alaska. In 1976, the Alaska legislature adopted Chapter 181, SLA 1976 which proyides that an eligible person who completes one year of law school and subsequently successfully pursues a three year course of law study in a clerkship program may be admitted to the practice of law upon taking and passing the bar examination administered by the Alaska Bar Association. The Act placed upon the Alaska Supreme Court the responsibility for administering the clerkship program and prescribing the course of law study. The Alaska Supreme Court contracted with the Criminal Justice Center to design a law clerkship program, including a system for registering law clerks and supervising attorneys, a basic curriculum, and other elements of the program. The report proposes guidelines for sound administration of an educational program conducted outside direct academic supervision, discusses budget issues, and proposes a new bill to amend the statute as first passed.