Willamette Law Launches Alaska Summer Immersion Program

The program aims to address the rural justice gap in Alaska by placing law students in the state for hands-on learning.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Willamette University School of Law is launching an Alaska Law Summer Immersion program this June, open to their students as well as law students from around the country. The program will provide summer coursework, housing, and community engagement opportunities in Alaska, where there is a profound "rural justice gap" due to the lack of a law school in the state. By partnering with local experts and focusing on field-based experiences, the program aims to expose students to employment opportunities in an area with high legal service needs.

Why it matters

Alaska is the only state without its own law school, leading to a shortage of lawyers, especially in rural areas. This program seeks to address this "rural justice gap" by giving law students hands-on experience working alongside judges, policymakers, and practitioners in Alaska, with the goal of encouraging them to pursue careers in the state after graduation.

The details

The Alaska Law Summer Immersion program includes summer coursework, housing at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and excursions into the local community. Students will earn elective credits in courses covering Indigenous and Tribal Law, Rural Criminal Justice, and Alaskan Legal Practice, as well as have the opportunity to earn externship credits. This contrasts with other law school summer programs that are more akin to "glorified European vacations."

  • The program will launch this June 2026.
  • It will run during the summer months.

The players

Willamette University School of Law

A law school located in Salem, Oregon that is launching the Alaska Law Summer Immersion program.

University of Alaska Anchorage

The university where Willamette law students will be housed during the Alaska program.

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What they’re saying

“By putting students in the same room as judges, policymakers, and practitioners who practice throughout the year in the forty-ninth state, Willamette is giving those students a foot in the door in a market starving for talent.”

— Ryan Craig, Author (Forbes)

What’s next

If the Alaska Law Summer Immersion program is successful, Willamette may explore more permanent partnerships to enable students to complete more of their legal education in residence in Alaska.

The takeaway

This program demonstrates how law schools can move beyond just talking about access to justice issues and instead take concrete steps to address legal service gaps, such as placing students in underserved communities to gain hands-on experience.