Judge Michael Wolverton: 38 years on the Alaska Bench

Michael Wolverton did not come from a family of attorneys or judges; his parents were educators and that was what he planned to do. However, while doing his student teaching, he realized it wasn't the right path. He went to the University of Minnesota Law School and after a stint in the Peace Corp found himself in Alaska. Like so many, he had only planned to stay for a year, but never left. He started as a public defender in Anchorage and opened the Palmer Public Defender's office. He then served as a district court judge until he was appointed to the superior court by Gov. Tony Knowles in 1996. He retired from the bench in 2022 when he turned 70.