Alaska Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Henderson is seen on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Juneau. Alaska’s Supreme Court will likely soon have three female and two male justices, making it majority-women for the first time. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Seven attorneys have thrown their name in the ring for a judicial position in Alaska’s Supreme Court. All seven candidates are women, meaning that – if everything proceeds as expected – the court will be majority-women for the first time in state history.
The seven applicants were announced last week by the Alaska Judicial Council, which screens and nominates applicants for judicial positions. The governor then fills a judicial vacancy from the nominees provided by the council.
The attorneys are applying to replace Chief Justice Peter Maassen, who will turn 70 – the retirement age for Alaska judges – in 2025. Maassen’s departure will mark the end of a series of retirements on the Supreme Court.
The incoming justice will be the fourth appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy out of a five-person court. The only justice that will not have been appointed by Dunleavy is Susan M. Carney, who was appointed by former Gov. Bill Walker in 2016. Carney replaced former Justice Dana Fabe, who was the first woman appointed to the Alaska Supreme Court in 1996.