Why the Community Justice Worker Program is Essential
Alaska is the largest and most rural state in the United States. Many communities are not connected by roads, and people often live far from courts, attorneys and legal offices. Access to help is also extremely limited. ALSC has only one attorney available for every 10,000 Alaskans eligible for our services, leaving communities without any local legal support at all. As a result, Alaskans are unable to get help with basic civil legal needs like housing, family safety, and access to benefits. The Alaska’s Justice Ecosystem: Building a Partnership of Providers story map illustrates these challenges, showing how geography and limited infrastructure limit access to courts, attorneys, and legal aid across the state.
Because of these combined barriers, new approaches to service delivery are needed to meet legal needs across the state.
This is why ALSC launched the Community Justice Worker (CJW) program. Inspired by the tribal Community Health Aid model, the CJW program trains local community members to provide legal assistance where it is needed most. These community-embedded advocates are trained by ALSC to assist Alaskans who would otherwise lack access to civil legal help. Today, CJWs are an integral part of ALSC’s service model, with nearly one in five cases involving a CJW.
Under Alaska Bar Rule 43.5, ALSC’s CJW Resource Center has developed a curriculum and certification process to prepare CJWs to represent clients in court under the waiver. In January 2026, the first CJWs were approved to provide limited-scope legal assistance for Domestic Violence Protective Orders.
Become a Community Justice Worker
Are you passionate about making a difference in your community? The CJW Resource Center partners with Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and Alaska Pacific University to provide online, self-paced, training courses for CJW’s to assist with specific legal issues. Training is provided at no cost to CJWs who agree to take at least one case through ALSC’s volunteer program or to share general legal information with their community.
Inquire today about one of our courses and become a CJW providing essential legal assistance to those who need it most.
