Aimee Oravec
Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!
2025 - Present
2029
0
Aimee Oravec is a judge of the Alaska Supreme Court. Oravec assumed office on January 31, 2025. Oravec's current term ends on February 5, 2029.
On November 27, 2024, Governor of Alaska Mike Dunleavy (R) appointed Oravec to the Alaska Supreme Court to replace Peter J. Maassen (nonpartisan).[1] To learn about this vacancy, click here.
Biography
Prior to her appointment to the Alaska Supreme Court, Oravec was the lead attorney for Doyon Utilities LLC. She also previously served on the Alaska Judicial Council for six years as an attorney member, from 2012 to 2018.[1]
Appointments
Governor Mike Dunleavy (R) appointed Aimee Oravec to the Alaska Supreme Court to replace Chief Justice Peter J. Maassen, who retired on January 13, 2025. Oravec is Gov. Dunleavy's fourth nominee to the five-member supreme court. Since the chief justice is elected through a chamber vote, Maassen's replacement will be appointed to an associate justiceship, and the Alaska Supreme Court will hold another election to decide the next chief justice. To learn about how chief justices are selected in state supreme courts nationwide, click here. Oravec was sworn in on January 31, 2025.
In Alaska, state supreme court justices are selected through assisted appointment with a hybrid judicial nominating commission. Justices are appointed by the governor with the assistance of a commission who has no majority of members selected either by the governor or the state Bar Association. There are 10 states that use this selection method. To read more about the assisted appointment of judges, click here.
The process of filling interim judicial vacancies is identical to that of filling ones that would occur at the end of a justice's term. The governor appoints a justice from a pool of names provided by the nominating commission. After occupying the seat for at least three years, the appointee runs in an uncontested yes-no retention election and, if retained, will serve a subsequent term of ten years.[2][3]
State supreme court judicial selection in Alaska
- See also: Judicial selection in Alaska
The five justices on the Alaska Supreme Court are selected through the assisted appointed method. Each justice is appointed from a list of two or more nominees compiled by the Alaska Judicial Council.[4]
The initial term of a new justice is at least three years, after which the justice stands for retention in an uncontested yes-no election. Subsequent terms last ten years.[5] For more information on these elections, visit the Alaska judicial elections page.
Qualifications
To serve on this court, a justice must be:
- a U.S. citizen;
- a state resident for at least five years;
- licensed to practice law in the state;
- active in law practice for at least eight years; and
- under the age of 70.[6][7]
Chief justice
The chief justice is chosen by a vote of the other supreme court justices and serves a three-year term.[8]
Vacancies
The process of filling interim judicial vacancies is identical to that of filling ones that would occur at the end of a justice's term. The governor appoints a justice from a pool of names provided by the nominating commission. After occupying the seat for at least three years, the appointee runs in an uncontested yes-no retention election and, if retained, will serve a subsequent term of ten years.[9][10]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
|
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alaska Beacon, “Gov. Dunleavy appoints Fairbanks lawyer Oravec to Alaska Supreme Court" accessed February 4, 2025
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "Constitutional and Statutory Provisions Concerning Judicial Retention/Evaluation: AS 15.35.030. Approval or rejection of supreme court justice," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "Selection Law - Constitutional and Statutory Provisions Concerning Judicial Selection: Alaska Constitution Article IV, Section 5. Nomination and Appointment," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "Selection Law - Constitutional and Statutory Provisions Concerning Judicial Selection: Alaska Constitution Article IV, Section 5. Nomination and Appointment," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "Constitutional and Statutory Provisions Concerning Judicial Retention/Evaluation: AS 15.35.030. Approval or rejection of supreme court justice," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "AS 22.05.070. Qualifications of justices," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "AS 22.25.010. Retirement of Justices and Judges," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Court System, "Court System Information," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "Constitutional and Statutory Provisions Concerning Judicial Retention/Evaluation: AS 15.35.030. Approval or rejection of supreme court justice," accessed March 23, 2023
- ↑ Alaska Judicial Council, "Selection Law - Constitutional and Statutory Provisions Concerning Judicial Selection: Alaska Constitution Article IV, Section 5. Nomination and Appointment," accessed March 23, 2023
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Alaska • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Alaska
State courts:
Alaska Supreme Court • Alaska Court of Appeals • Alaska Superior Court • Alaska District Court
State resources:
Courts in Alaska • Alaska judicial elections • Judicial selection in Alaska
