https://law.alaska.gov/department/jobs/26-PDPS-01.html
The Department of Law is looking for talented, energetic, and hard-working attorneys for a two-year fellowship in our Anchorage or Juneau office. If you want to be a part of a collegial, collaborative, and intellectually-challenging workplace, we hope you will consider joining us. The Department will be evaluating and hiring for these positions on a rolling basis as applications are received. Applications received after February 13, 2026 will be considered if positions remain open.
Fellows will be assigned to the Civil Division’s Professional Development and Public Service section, where they will gain practical, hands-on legal experience while enjoying the personal satisfaction of serving the residents of Alaska. The section supervisor is a skilled practitioner who will be responsible for offering incoming fellows a training and orientation program that is specifically designed to help each fellow contribute to the Division’s mission immediately. In addition to the section supervisor, each fellow will also be assigned a senior attorney to act as their mentor. Pairings will be based on the substantive interests of the fellow and whether they are interested in agency advice, trial court litigation, or appellate practice. The goal of the program is to provide a pathway for gaining specialized knowledge, essential skills, and experience to qualify for permanent employment in the Department.
Attorneys in the Civil Division work on matters of statewide importance, all while living and enjoying all Alaska has to offer. If you enjoy complex and impactful legal work along with dramatic scenery, outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, kayaking, and abundant wildlife, then the Alaska Department of Law, Civil Division is the place for you. Flexible schedules, including hybrid telework arrangements, may be available.
Responsibilities
Each fellow will manage their own caseloads and participate in the full range of work handled by the Civil Division. This will include partnering with attorneys in other sections to work on a wide variety of civil matters including child protection, natural resources, employment, workers’ compensation, torts, governmental management, environment, oil and gas, health and social services, and legislation and regulations. It will also include advising a wide variety of state clients, including state agencies, governmental officials, public corporations, and licensing boards and commissions. The fellow will assist with legal advice projects, as well as participate in the full range of work handled by the Division. This includes reviewing discovery, drafting legal pleadings, attending hearings, working on civil appeals to Alaska’s superior and supreme courts, sitting on moot courts for other attorneys, and presenting at least one oral argument. Near the end of the fellowship period, the fellow will be eligible to apply for any open attorney positions at the Department.
Qualifications
Candidates should be law school graduates currently serving as full-time judicial clerks or who have recently completed a judicial clerkship; law school graduates participating in government, academic, or public-interest fellowships that will be completed prior to the start date of the Department of Law’s fellowship; or exceptionally qualified law students in their final year at an accredited law school.
The Fellow will be chosen based on academic achievements, references, writing ability, and commitment to public service. Preference will be given to candidates with a demonstrated interest in Alaska. Candidates should either be members of the Alaska Bar or must take and pass the Alaska Bar Exam in the February following the start of the Fellowship (and must be able to practice in accordance with Alaska Bar Rule 44(3)(c)).
Application Process
Candidates who are interested in applying for this position must submit a resume that includes a complete history of education and professional work experience and identifies at least three professional employment references. Candidates also must submit a comprehensive professional writing sample. A cover letter should specify the position for which the applicant is applying by using the job number indicated on the recruitment announcement. Applications can be emailed to civil.recruit@alaska.gov (with the subject line titled “application for current attorney recruitment”).
All interested and qualified applicants will be considered, but not every applicant will be interviewed.
The Department of Law is an equal opportunity employer and complies with Title I of the American with Disabilities Act. Applicants who need accommodation to apply may call Kelly West at the department’s Anchorage office (907) 269-5101 or Relay Alaska at 1-800-770-8973.
