Alaska Judicial Council seeks Kotzebue Superior Court applicants

The Alaska Judicial Council is once again accepting applications for the Kotzebue Superior Court seat being vacated by retiring Judge Paul A. Roetman, the council announced June 1. The "re-solicitation" framing signals the first round of recruiting didn't yield enough qualified applicants — a familiar pattern for rural Alaska judgeships.

Kotzebue, a hub community of roughly 3,000 on Alaska's Northwest coast, is the superior court seat for the Second Judicial District, which covers Northwest Alaska from the Bering Strait to the North Slope — a region the size of several New England states combined and largely off the road system. Judgeships there have historically been among the hardest in Alaska to recruit for, often requiring multiple solicitation rounds.

The Council held an in-person public hearing on May 19 at Kotzebue's Nullagvik Hotel to collect community feedback on the original applicant pool. With the re-solicitation now underway, the Council will likely hold another such hearing once a fresh slate of candidates is in hand. The Council, a constitutional screening body, sends the governor a short list of qualified applicants; the governor makes the appointment, and appointed judges later face retention elections.

The Kotzebue seat is one of two openings the Council is filling. The other is a Juneau District Court vacancy. Application details are posted at www.ajc.state.ak.us, or available by phone at (907) 279-2526.