--- title: "Kelly J Lawson | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-j-lawson-superior-court-judge-alaska-superior-court-kenai-ak" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Kelly J Lawson Alaska Superior Court, Judicial District 3 · Superior Court Judge ## Profile - Court: Alaska Superior Court, Judicial District 3 - State: Alaska - Role: Superior Court Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-10-02 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Superior Court Judge, Alaska Superior Court, Judicial District 3; from 2023 - Legal Career: Law Clerk, Hon. Dan Hensley (2002–2003) Assistant District Attorney (2007–2018) Assistant Attorney General (2018–2020) Deputy District Attorney (2020–2022) Office of Victims’ Rights Attorney (2022–2023) - Lack of patience, dignity, and courtesy toward court staff, creating friction and impeding efficient justice administration - Law Clerk for the Honorable Dan A. Hensley, Anchorage Assistant/Deputy District Attorney, Fairbanks and Kenai Assistant Attorney General, Child Protection, Kenai Alaska Office of Victims’ Rights, Anchorage ### Education - University of Montana School of Law — 2002 - University of Alaska Fairbanks — 1999 ### Additional information - Kelly J. Lawson is a Superior Court Judge for Alaska’s Third Judicial District (Kenai), appointed in March 2023, and is currently facing a unanimous “no” recommendation from the Alaska Judicial Council on her retention. - In July 2026, the Alaska Judicial Council voted 6–0 to recommend “No” on retaining Judge Lawson. - Appointed: March 13, 2023, by Governor Mike Dunleavy to replace Jennifer Wells - Homer High School (1995) - Residency: Alaska native; lived in multiple communities including Anchorage, Fairbanks, Nikiski, and Kenai - The council noted that while court administrators worked with her, progress was largely unsuccessful - Attorneys rated her legal ability as good; jurors rated attentiveness as excellent; her one decided appeal was affirmed - Failed standards for judicial temperament and integrity - Judge Lawson has stated that her career has been dedicated to public service, and she hopes to continue serving the Kenai Peninsula with patience, fairness, and impartiality. - This is her first judicial retention election. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### photography filming recording Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://courts.alaska.gov/jord/docs/2023/statewide-electronic-devices.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### courtroom media requests Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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 area [Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities](https://courts.alaska.gov/jord/docs/2023/statewide-electronic-devices.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/docs/KJL.pdf) - [Official roster](https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/docs/KJL.pdf) - [Alaska Court System official judicial roster](https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/docs/KJL.pdf) - [Presiding Judges' Statewide Order on Use of Cameras and Electronic Devices in Common Areas of Court Facilities](https://courts.alaska.gov/jord/docs/2023/statewide-electronic-devices.pdf) - [Hearings & Trials](https://courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts/hearings.htm) - [ajc.alaska.gov](https://ajc.alaska.gov/judges/judgemain.html) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/) - [ajc.alaska.gov](https://ajc.alaska.gov/judges/judgemain.html) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/jord/docs/2023/statewide-electronic-devices.pdf) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/docs/KJL.pdf) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts/hearings.htm) - [ajc.alaska.gov](https://ajc.alaska.gov/judges/judgemain.html) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/jord/docs/2023/statewide-electronic-devices.pdf) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/judges/docs/KJL.pdf) - [courts.alaska.gov](https://courts.alaska.gov/trialcourts/hearings.htm) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-j-lawson-superior-court-judge-alaska-superior-court-kenai-ak", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-j-lawson-superior-court-judge-alaska-superior-court-kenai-ak", "name": "Kelly J Lawson | KnowJudges", "description": "Kelly J Lawson, Alaska Superior Court, Judicial District 3. 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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](https://courts.alaska.gov/jord/docs/2023/statewide-electronic-devices.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.