AK HCR14

Alaska is the only U.S. state without a law school, creating challenges for legal education and attorney recruitment in the state.

A 10-year analysis showed a 240 percent increase in retired attorneys and increased reliance on out-of-state attorneys, while 35 percent of Alaska's population is BIPOC yet only 6 percent of practicing attorneys are BIPOC.

The Alaska Bar Association's Diversity Commission identified the lack of a law school as a systemic barrier to diversifying the legal profession and recommended creating an accredited law school or partnership.

The legislature urges University of Alaska Anchorage to conduct a feasibility study of an in-state law school and to establish a partnership with an existing American Bar Association-accredited law school offering remote learning with periodic campus visits.

The partnership law school should serve as a pathway toward developing a small, financially sustainable law school allowing students to complete their education while remaining in Alaska.