Jude Pate at a glance
- Current role
- Justice
- Court
- Alaska Supreme Court
- Jurisdiction
- Alaska · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Jude Pate
Justice · Alaska Supreme Court
Biography
Professional career
- 2023–present: Justice, Alaska Supreme Court
- He assumed office in March 2023 and is the first Alaska Supreme Court justice from outside Juneau, Anchorage, or Fairbanks since 1960
- First Alaska Supreme Court justice from outside the three major cities since 1960
- Michael Jude Pate is an American lawyer and Justice of the Alaska Supreme Court, appointed on January 20, 2023, by Governor Mike Dunleavy to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Justice Daniel Winfree
- 2018–2023: Judge, Sitka Superior Court, appointed by Governor Bill Walker
- Private Law Practice, 1999-2006
Education
- in Journalism, University of Kansas — B.S.
- Lewis & Clark Northwestern School of Law — J.D.
Additional information
- The Alaska Judicial Council’s 2026 retention evaluation found he met or exceeded all performance standards, with a unanimous “YES” recommendation for retention.
- Assistant Public Defender, State of Alaska, 2006-2018
- 1994–1999: Trial counsel for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska
- Born 1965 in Nuremberg, Germany.
- As an appellate judge, Pate handles civil and criminal appeals in Alaska.
- His work has been recognized for legal ability, integrity, impartiality, fairness, temperament, diligence, and administrative skills.
- Attended AFCENT High School in the Netherlands; grew up in the Netherlands and Kansas.
- Publicly states that his father’s military service instilled a strong sense of civic duty, and his mother encouraged fearlessness, kindness, and patience in decision-making
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Recording and broadcasting
Statewide
Alaska generally prohibits photographing, filming, and recording in courthouse common areas unless an application is approved, while separate courtroom and adjacent-area rules remain governed by Administrative Rule 50 and Administrative Bulletin No. 45.
Except as specifically authorized by this order, photographing, filming, and recording are permitted in common areas inside the courthouse only upon the issuance of an approved application.Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities ↗
Courtroom Media Requests
Statewide
Alaska states that media may request permission from a judicial officer for coverage inside a particular courtroom or adjacent area, and the judicial officer rules on those requests.
not intended to interfere with or restrict the rights of the media to request permission from a judicial officer to allow media coverage within a particular courtroom or adjacent areaPresiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities
Alaska Supreme Court
Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory.
Official source ↗ · Collected 2026-07-26Sources
Identity source checked October 2, 2026.
Biography sources checked October 2, 2026.
Alaska Court System official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 22, 2026
View Alaska Court System official judicial roster ↗Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities
Statewide source · PDF · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities ↗www.ajc.state.ak.us
Identity source · PDF · Source checked September 28, 2026
View www.ajc.state.ak.us ↗