Alaska Judicial Council ensures performance of judges and justices is, by and large, exemplary

The Juneau courthouse on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent file photo)

By Paul Dillon 

As a retired attorney who practiced for over 30 years in Alaska, I still follow the workings of the Alaska Judicial Council (AJC), and its vital role in recommending the judges and justices who preside over our courts.  

I was speaking recently with a Fairbanks legislator who wondered aloud why the vast majority of the judges who stand for retention ultimately receive it. The question struck me as one worth answering publicly, because the answer reflects well on everyone associated with the AJC — past and present. 

The answer lies in the quality and rigor of the work performed by the citizens who serve on the AJC. The high retention rate is not an accident; it is the direct result of an exhaustive nominating process that forwards only the most qualified candidates to the governor for appointment. The Alaskans who have filled the council’s seats — then and now — invested countless hours reviewing applications, evaluating credentials and deliberating carefully about who among the applicants is genuinely fit to serve their fellow citizens from the bench. The bylaws that govern this process are exacting; the men and women who fulfill them even more so.

Their work does not end with nomination. Once a judge or justice is on the bench and eligible for retention, the council then conducts an incredibly thorough performance evaluation and makes recommendations to Alaska voters. These evaluations include a survey of Alaska Bar Association members rating judges on legal ability, fairness, integrity, temperament, and diligence; surveys of court employees, peace officers, probation officers and social services professionals; personal interviews with presiding judges, attorneys and court staff; review of appellate records, disciplinary history, and financial disclosures; and analysis of case-handling data. Council members also encourage public participation and comment throughout this process and are required by law to publish their findings and recommendations at least 60 days before each retention election. 

It is because the nominating process is so demanding that the performance of Alaska’s judges and justices is, by and large, exemplary — And the council’s retention recommendations reflect that record. The high rate of retention is not a rubber stamp — it is the earned result of getting the selection right in the first place. 

The work of the citizens on the council is the most reliable source of information about the qualifications and performance of the men and women who serve on the state’s courts. It is through their diligence — in screening and nominating candidates at the outset, and in rigorously evaluating performance over time — that Alaskans are able to make informed judgments about the judiciary that serves them. 

At the end of the day, what any Alaskan needs when they walk into a courtroom is assurance that the judge before them is fair, hardworking and knowledgeable in the law — free from political bias and immune to economic pressure. It is their fellow Alaskans, serving without pay on the AJC, who make that assurance possible. 

The men and women who have served on the council — and those who serve today — have given untold hours of their time, without compensation and without fanfare, to one of the most consequential responsibilities in Alaska public life. Attorney and non-attorney alike, from every background and political persuasion, they have worked side-by-side, deliberated together and voted in the interest of justice for all Alaskans. To each of them, past and present, we owe our sincere gratitude. 

• Paul Dillon lives in Juneau. He is a member of the group Justice Not Politics Alaska.