The Supreme Court and the Superior Court were established in the Alaska Constitution. The District Court was established by state statute in 1959. The Court of Appeals was established by state statute in 1980. Jurisdiction and other areas of the judicial responsibility for each level of court are set out in Title 22 of the Alaska Statutes. Law clerks are presently employed at all four levels of the court system.
Law clerks are temporary employees normally hired for a twelve-month appointment.
The twelve-month appointment usually begins in September. Upon appointment these employees will be required to sign an Oath of Office and provide proof of U.S. citizenship or employment authorization. Generally, the work that the law clerks perform entails conducting legal research and preparation of memoranda of law for a justice or judge. However, the use of the court's services has expanded and the duties of the law clerk have grown in diversity. Therefore, all persons who are selected to work for the Alaska Court System must be prepared to effectively handle a varied and heavy workload.