AJC Home > Retention Election Information > Jennifer Henderson
VOTE YES
Jennifer Henderson
Alaska Supreme Court
Justice Henderson was appointed to the Alaska Supreme Court in July of 2021. This is her first retention election in this position.
Performance Summary
After conducting its performance review, the Judicial Council determined that Justice Henderson met or exceeded performance standards on all criteria, including professional competence and legal ability, integrity, impartiality and fairness, temperament, diligence, and administrative skills.
The Council also determined that Justice Henderson met or exceeded educational requirements set by the Alaska Supreme Court, complied with judicial ethics requirements, and made exceptional contributions to the community and to the administration of justice.
Because Justice Henderson met or exceeded all performance and professional development standards, the Alaska Judicial Council recommends a “yes” vote on retention in office.
Performance Findings
The Council conducts a thorough performance review of each judge standing for retention. Key findings for Justice Henderson include:
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Ratings by justice system professionals: Attorneys who appeared before Justice Henderson gave her excellent reviews (4.8 overall), as did court employees (4.9 overall). The chart provided summarizes Justice Henderson's survey ratings.
- Detailed survey ratings can be viewed here.
Professional and community activities: Justice Henderson made exceptional contributions to the administration of justice and the community during her term in office.
- Justice Henderson served as co-chair of the Alaska Supreme Court Access to Justice Committee, a group that oversees the court system’s efforts to reduce barriers and improve access to justice services throughout the State. She also led that committee’s subcommittee on regulatory reform.
- She served as the court system’s representative on the Alaska Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee, and also represented the court system on the Bar Association’s Committee on Continuing Legal Education.
- Justice Henderson chaired the court system’s Civil Rules Committee, a group that reviews and adopts revisions to the Alaska Rules of Civil Procedure.
- She chaired the court system’s Judicial Conference Planning Committee, a group responsible for planning annual training for all judges.
- Justice Henderson is assisting to develop a committee to focus on judicial caseload management.
- She participated in Success Inside and Out, a program that helps incarcerated women re-enter the community.
- Justice Henderson participated in Color of Justice, a law-related education program designed to promote diversity in the legal profession and judiciary by encouraging diverse youth to consider careers as lawyers and judges.
- More information about Justice Henderson's professional, educational, and outreach activites can be found here.
Other performance indicators: A review of Justice Henderson’s financial and conflict of interest statements showed that she complied with all disclosure requirements.
Timeliness: Alaska law requires judges’ pay be withheld when a decision has been pending longer than six months. The Council verified that Justice Henderson was paid on schedule, and she certified that she had no untimely decisions.
Ethics: There were no public disciplinary proceedings against Justice Henderson, and the Council’s review found no ethical concerns.
