Willamette University School of Law is launching its Alaska Law Summer Program, a five-week immersion in Anchorage designed for rising 2L and 3L students from any ABA-accredited law school in the country. Hosted in partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage, this program is rooted in decades of collaboration with Alaska’s legal community and will offer access to one of the country's most legally distinctive landscapes.
“This program is a natural extension of Willamette Law’s decades-long relationship with Alaska,” said Lexie Zirschky, Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Administration. Willamette Law has built a deep and highly engaged alumni presence within the Alaska Bar, which has been supported by longstanding externship and clerkship pathways for students, alongside strong post-graduate employment opportunities. These sustained relationships have made it possible to design a program that is both academically rigorous and professionally relevant.
Alaska and Oregon face many of the same challenges, particularly the shortage of attorneys and the resulting access to justice crisis in rural areas. Willamette Law’s decision to invest in Alaska reflects the broader mission to prepare lawyers who are ready to serve in the areas of highest need. At the same time, Alaska offers a legal landscape that is uniquely shaped by Indigenous and tribal law, expansive federal land, and complex environmental and natural resources issues.
“Alaska is a place where the law is deeply connected to the people, the land, and the community. That makes it an ideal setting for the kind of thoughtful and practice-ready legal education Willamette is known to provide,” said Zirschky.
The program is designed to provide both breadth and depth. Students will earn four or five academic credits, depending on whether they opt to participate in an independent research project. The program will be led by Willamette Law faculty, including Assistant Professor of Law Sheryl Buske, and enriched by collaboration with Alaska-based judges, attorneys, and community leaders across environmental and natural resources law, rural criminal justice, Alaskan legal practice, and Indigenous and tribal law. The program is designed to build a strong substantive foundation for students in what it means to practice law in Alaska.
Consistent with Willamette Law’s experiential excellence, learning will extend beyond the classroom and take advantage of all the state of Alaska has to offer. Students will engage in educational, and fun, excursions to Alaska courtrooms, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Museum, and more. Additionally, students will connect with practicing attorneys, judges, and Willamette Law alumni. These excursions will help to open students’ eyes to the day-to-day realities of legal practice in Alaska.
Alongside informational excursions, students will have the opportunity to explore some of Alaska’s most beautiful locations. There are optional excursions to see glaciers, hike Flattop Mountain, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, take day trips to Homer and Soldotna, and explore Denali National Park & Preserve.
The program is designed to support a small and engaged cohort of students. Housing accommodations are included. This cohort model reflects Willamette Law’s commitment to personalized education and mentorship, creating space for sustained faculty engagement, meaningful professional connections, and strong peer relationships.
At its core, this program embodies Willamette Law’s excellence in preparing students for impactful legal careers. Students will explore pro bono and post-graduate opportunities, build professional networks in a market with real demand for new attorneys, and gain confidence navigating complex legal systems. They will leave not only better prepared for practice, but with lasting relationships and experiences that shape who they become as lawyers.
“Students will see glaciers, wildlife, and extraordinary landscapes,” Zirschky said. “They’ll make friends, have adventures, and come away with a deeper understanding of both the law and themselves. As a bonus, they will have a foot in the door in a location that has a high demand for attorneys.”
Applications for this one-of-a-kind summer immersion program are now open through March 1.
