Kirk Schwalm at a glance
- Current role
- Superior Court Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Alaska · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Kirk Schwalm
Superior Court Judge · Alaska Superior Court, Judicial District 4
Biography
Professional career
- Superior Court Judge, Alaska Superior Court, Judicial District 4; from 2022
- Career: Former law clerk to the Alaska Superior and Supreme Courts
- Assistant Attorney General
Education
- Lewis & Clark Law School — J.D. (2010)
Additional information
- This is his first judicial retention election, scheduled for 2026.
- Judge Kirk Schwalm is a Fairbanks Superior Court judge in Alaska’s Fourth Judicial District, appointed in June 2022, and is up for his first retention election in 2026 with a unanimous “Retain” recommendation from the Alaska Judicial Council.
- Appointed to the Fairbanks Superior Court on June 16, 2022 by Governor Mike Dunleavy Must Read Alaska .
- Private practice attorney in Fairbanks before appointment to Superior Court
- Residency: Alaska resident for 50 years, primarily in Fairbanks
- I try to make sure every person that appears in my court is heard, treated fairly, and given a timely decision based on the law and the evidence”.
- The Alaska Judicial Council voted 6–0 to Retain Judge Schwalm.
- He presides over a broad range of criminal and civil cases in the district.
- Family Law Rules Committee member
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 Superior Court, Judicial District 4
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 July 26, 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 ↗