Attorneys

The Office of Public Advocacy hires new and experienced attorneys to represent indigent clients in a range of cases: criminal, juvenile delinquency, Child in Need of Aid, guardianships, appeals, post-conviction relief, and more.

Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package: medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement, and a minimum of five weeks of paid leave. Salary range is commensurate with experience and dependent on location (COLA included):

20% pay increase as of 10/31/2022 -

• Anchorage, Kenai, Palmer: $82,914.00 - $128,544.00 annually
• Bethel: $124,371.00 - $192,816.00 annually
• Fairbanks: $85,410.00 - $132,405.00 annually
• Juneau: $87,067.50 - $134,979.00 annually

Benefits Information: http://doa.alaska.gov/dop/workplace/benefits/

We are currently accepting applications for attorneys in multiple locations and for multiple positions. Openings for attorney positions are posted below.

Statewide

Contract Attorney (Multiple Locations)

The Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) is looking for contract attorneys to handle civil, appellate, and criminal matters on behalf of the agency and its various sections. OPA provides legal advocacy and guardianship services to vulnerable Alaskans in addition to providing attorney services to indigent clients in conflict criminal cases received from the Public Defender Agency.

Contract attorneys are expected to work cases in a fully competent, high-quality manner and see them through to completion. Contracts are issued on either a flat fee or hourly basis, and payment is processed every month.

Certain case-related expenses such as travel, interpretation services, and expert witness are reimbursable with prior approval, while general office costs such as postage and office supplies are not reimbursable. Contractors must be active members of the Alaska bar, possess an active State of Alaska business license, and maintain professional liability insurance to be eligible for contract work.

For more information and to apply, please contact Jonathon Torres at jonathon.torres@alaska.gov.

Anchorage

Fairbanks

Palmer

Kenai 

Juneau

Juneau – Office of Public Advocacy, Attorney V

The Office of Public Advocacy is recruiting for an Assistant Public Advocate to serve as Guardian ad litem (GAL) Supervisor in the Juneau Civil Section.  The successful applicant will supervise and provide legal representation for 2 non-attorney GALs.  The successful applicant will also carry a caseload of child advocacy cases.  In addition, the successful applicant will occasionally need to perform supervisory duties involving other Juneau Civil Section employees. 

The Juneau Civil Section provides GALs in child-in-need-of-aid, civil custody, adoption, guardianship, delinquency, domestic violence, and criminal cases.  The ideal candidate will have experience supervising as well as working within the civil custody and child welfare system. 

Candidates should possess:

·         Excellent writing and oral advocacy skills.

·         Proficiency in legal research.

·         An appreciation of different cultures and family situations.

·         The ability to develop a positive rapport with children, parents, social workers, tribal representatives, and other professionals involved in children’s lives.

·         The ability to handle high conflict situations professionally and calmly.

·         Exceptional organization and time-management skills.

·         Working knowledge of the Indian Child Welfare Act, CINA law, and family law.

The Office of Public Advocacy is committed to hiring a diverse work force and all qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.  This position is with the State of Alaska in the Partially Exempt Service.  Compensation includes a comprehensive benefits package: medical, dental and vision insurance, retirement, and a minimum of four weeks of paid leave.  Salary range is commensurate with experience, between $132,191 - $173,297 annually.  To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample to, margaret.mcwilliams@alaska.gov and jonathon.torres@alaska.gov.

Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 2025. For additional assistance call 907-465-4162.

Bethel 

Non-Attorney Staff

The Office of Public Advocacy hires Guardians Ad Litem, Public Guardians, and other non-attorney staff, including legal investigators, paralegals, and law office assistants. Job postings for these positions are found on Workplace Alaska. Current job openings can be found below.

Anchorage

On-Call Law Office Assistant

The Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) is seeking an on-call Law Office Assistant to provide clerical and legal support to our administrative section’s case assignment unit. This is a non-benefited position that offers a flexible work schedule in a fast-paced, friendly, and professional work environment.

The successful candidate will possess strong organizational skills, be detail and goal-oriented, and possess a strong work ethic. Prior legal experience is preferred. OPA is a very fast-paced work environment where the ability to prioritize workloads and meet competing deadlines is essential.

The position’s duties include, but are not limited to:

• Draft, type, format, edit, and proofread correspondence and legal documents in a variety of formats;
• Track incoming case assignments and assist with distributing emails to OPA’s various sections;
• Research case discovery to aid in conflict analysis;
• Assemble appellate briefs along with other case-related documents;
• Prepare files for archiving

The position's salary is $19.98/hour. Interested candidates must possess one year of clerical experience and should email a cover letter, resume and writing sample to Amy Hoagland electronically at amy.hoagland@alaska.gov. This position will remain open until filled with a suitable candidate.