Ketchikan’s longtime Assistant District Attorney James Scott will be the new district attorney in Juneau. The Department of Law made the announcement Friday.
Scott has been the Assistant DA in Ketchikan since 1999. Before that, he worked in Illinois as a prosecutor and in private practice. He says the Juneau position was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“I’m a trial attorney, and I’ve been a trial attorney since 1992. I came to Ketchikan because my wife and I fell in love with the place and we’ll miss it terribly. But, having an opportunity to go to Juneau and supervise the Juneau office is kind of like being called back to headquarters. It’s an opportunity that I’m very pleased I was offered and think I should take advantage of.”
Scott will start his new job July 1st. He will replace Dave Brower, who has worked for the Alaska Department of Law for about 22 years. Brower’s retirement takes effect April 30th.
Scott says he looks forward to choosing the cases he will handle, and working with the young attorneys who work in the Juneau office.
“I’ve reached a point in my career where I think I will get as much pleasure helping young lawyers shepherd their careers as I’ve gotten out of trying cases and doing that sort of thing.”
Scott has his own ideas about what makes a good, productive law office.
“In a healthy law office, it’s a very collaborative work environment. The doors are open, people are talking, sharing ideas, bouncing ideas off each other, telling war stories. There’s a lot of laughter in a healthy law office, even when you’re dealing with serious topics.”
Scott says he’ll miss Ketchikan. He’s lived in Alaska’s First City longer than anywhere else in his life.
“My daughter started preschool here and will be graduating from high school here, I’ve made dear friends here. A few years ago, my wife had a serious health problem and the entire community came together to help us out. What I will miss about Ketchikan is probably too much to put into words.”
Scott also praised Ketchikan’s District Attorney Steve West, who likely will take over some of Scott’s case load after Scott leaves, along with Assistant District Attorney Joseph Kovak.
