Alaska Attorney General
The Alaska Attorney General is the chief legal advisor to the government of the State of Alaska and to its governor. The Attorney General is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Alaska Legislature. The position has existed since the early days of the Territory of Alaska, though it was an elected rather than an appointed position prior to statehood. The Attorney General also serves as the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Law, and is the only commissioner of a principal department of Alaska state government not referred to as "Commissioner" in normal usage.[1] As of June 29, 2016 the position of Alaska Attorney General is currently vacant. Alaska Governor Bill Walker nominated Anchorage attorney Jahna Lindemuth to fill the position on June 28, 2016.[2]
List of Attorneys General
In the earliest days of the Alaska Territory, the Territorial Counsel served as the de facto attorney general. Only one person, John H. Cobb, served in this position. The 2nd Alaska Territorial Legislature in 1915 created the Office of the Attorney General, to become effective after the 1916 general election. The attorney general's position was an elected position during the entirety of territorial days, as opposed to under statehood, in which it has been a position appointed by the governor. The following is a list of attorneys general in Alaska.
Alaska Territory
| Name | Image | Term of Office | Governor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| George B. Grigsby | 1916–1919 | Strong, Riggs | |
| Jeremiah C. Murphy | 1919–1920 | Riggs | |
| John Rustgard |  |
1920–1933 | Riggs, Bone, Parks |
| James S. Truitt | 1933–1941 | Troy, Gruening | |
| Henry Roden | 1941–1945 | Gruening | |
| Ralph J. Rivers |  |
1945–1949 | Gruening |
| J. Gerald Williams | 1949–1959 | Gruening, Heintzleman, Stepovich |
State of Alaska
| Name | Image | Term of Office | Governor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| John L. Rader |  |
1959–1960 | Egan |
| Ralph E. Moody |  |
1960–1962 | Egan |
| George N. Hayes | 1962–1964 | Egan | |
| Warren C. Colver | 1964–1966 | Egan | |
| Donald A. Burr | 1966–1967 | Hickel | |
| Edgar Paul Boyko | 1967–1968 | Hickel | |
| G. Kent Edwards | 1968–1970 | Hickel, Miller | |
| John E. Havelock |  |
1970–1973 | Egan |
| Norman C. Gorsuch | 1973–1974 | Egan | |
| Avrum M. Gross |  |
1974–1980 | Hammond |
| Wilson L. Condon | 1980–1982 | Hammond | |
| Norman C. Gorsuch | 1982–1985 | Sheffield | |
| Harold M. Brown | 1985–1986 | Sheffield | |
| Grace Berg Schaible | 1987–1989 | Cowper | |
| Douglas B. Baily | 1989–1990 | Cowper | |
| Charles E. Cole | 1991–1994 | Hickel | |
| Bruce M. Botelho | 1994–2002 | Hickel, Knowles | |
| Gregg D. Renkes | 2002–2005 | Murkowski | |
| David W. Márquez | 2005–2006 | Murkowski | |
| Talis J. Colberg | 2006–2009 | Palin | |
| Daniel S. Sullivan |  |
2009–2010 | Palin, Parnell |
| John J. Burns | 2010–2012 | Parnell | |
| Michael C. Geraghty | 2012–2014 | Parnell | |
| Craig W. Richards[3] | 2014–2016 | Walker | |
| Jahna Lindemuth (nominee)[4] | 2016 (pending) | Walker |
References
External links
- Alaska Department of Law official website
- About the Attorney General at Alaska Department of Law
- Alaska Attorney General articles at Legal Newsline Legal Journal
- Alaska Attorney General articles at ABA Journal
- News and Commentary at FindLaw
- Alaska Statutes at Law.Justia.com
- U.S. Supreme Court Opinions - "Cases with title containing: State of Alaska" at FindLaw
- Alaska Bar Association
- Alaska Attorney General Craig W. Richards profile at National Association of Attorneys General
- Press releases at Alaska Department of Law