This report presents results of a survey of lay adjudicators in mixed-administrative tribunals in Alaska. Mixed administrative tribunals are appointed boards or commissions in which lay members decide legal issues with the involvement of a professional administrative law judge. This involvement varies in degree and methods, depending on the tribunal’s rules and statutes. The report describes reported participation, role perception, attitudes toward law, recruitment, and satisfaction with experience.

This research project was undertaken by the author in partial fulfillment of a Master of Judicial Studies degree awarded December 2012 by the University of Nevada Reno and the National Judicial College. Although the project was funded by the author, the preparation of this report was funded by the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center. The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Justice Center staff and faculty, especially André Rosay, Ph.D., Justice Center Director, Sharon Chamard, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Justice, and Barbara Armstrong, M.A., Research Associate. Points of view in this publication are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the Justice Center, the University of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Nevada Reno, the National Judicial College, or the State of Alaska, Office of the Governor, Boards and Commissions and its staff.