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20 Alaska B. Rag 1 (1996)

handle is hein.barjournals/askabar0020 and id is 1 raw text is: ALPS has come a long way since '87 Br Kof BnowN This past summer, as the ALI'S Director from Alaska, I was privi- leged to spend some time in Big Sky, Montana along with a number of lawyers and bar executives from across the United States. The occasion was a retreat spon. sored by Attorneys Liability Protection Society (ALPS). We were invited to palt ticipate and hear man- agement reports and updates on the progress of the company. It occurred to me as questions were asked of ALPS claims, risk management, marketing underwriting and finan- cial nnagrs, that ALPS is now over eightyea rs old and many among our current members may not know how and why AIl'S was stated. The story of ALlS is one which should make Alaska Bar Association members proud. Beginning in the early 1980's, the professional liabil- ity insurance market took a capricious and disturbing turn. Many tradi- tional inpurance companies offering malpractice coverage to lawyerasim- ply stopped writing such coverage or withdrew from smaller markets. Alaska was among a number of smaller state bars that were particu- larly hard hit. Lawyers who had practiced their entire career with no claims found it nearly impossible to obtain professional liability cover. age. Those Alaska lawyers able to obtain coverage were at the whim of a single carrier. When coverage was available, the lack of competition in the market- place drove the premiums to exorbitant levels, with rate increase doubling and tripling over previous years. Lawyers from several states involved in various roles with their state bar associations began compar- ing notes. Some had looked into n state wide captive to provide insur- ance to their members. The smaller states found that their numberssim- ply didn't make it economically feasible. Lawyers and bar leadership from the states ofMontana, West Virginia, South Dakota and Kansas took the lead in trying to solve this dilemma (along with assistance of members of the Alaska Bar Association). After many long hours of effort, long dis- tance phone calls, letters, and several meetings it was agreed to move for- ward with a multi-state captive insurance company to provide pro- continued on page 2 Il ,W Nesbett anchors new court complex By BAiOiA A. JoNs Superior and district court offices in Anchorage-including the clerk's office and small claims court--are scheduled to move to the new Nesbett Courthouse the week of May 13. The moving (late was chosen be- cause it is the week of the Alaska Judicial Conference and Alaska Bar Convention,when no trials are sched- uled, said Al Szal, Area Court Ad- ministrator. The Court Administrator's Office is working on a plan and guidelines for litigants to file documents and other emergency business of the courts during te week of May 13. Notices and instructions will be re- leased closer to the date of the move. Szal, the conductor orchestrating the move, does have a comprehen- sive plan to coordinate the task of moving offices, equipment and files; it will take professional movers five to six days. All district and superior court judges and chambers are moving to the new courthouse. The move also will relocate offices from the current district court building into space va- cated in the old Boney Courthouse. Eventually, the court administrative staffwill be moved from the Alaska Railroad annex to the old Anchorage Times building across from the new courthouse. The Nesbett Courthouse The Nesbett courthouse, named for one of the first Alaska Supreme Court justices, has taken 3 years to complete. At $38 million, the new state courthouse complex will fee- ture state-of-the art security; court- rooms adapted to new technology; and a number of now amenities for the public, including juries. As completed, the 206,000 square- foot Nesbett building will have 23 courtrooms: 12 superior court, 9 dis- trict court, and 2 high security court- rooms-all ofwhich are equipped for media. According to Kent Crandall, a courtaystem architect, the nowbuild- ing also is designed to withstand earthquakes. The building founda- tion is constructed as one big slab of concrete, rather than traditional footers, so that the foundation will bridge across any ground faults. The new building also has diagonal frames; these add architectural in- terest and will supjort the building in the event of an earthquake. To allow the building to flex under mo- tion and pressure, the structure uses rigid and soft bays. The rigid bays Alaska Ba Associ ion P.O. Box 100279 Anchorage. Alaska 9Sie are two foot foundation walls inter- spersed with flexible bays walls em- bedded with plastic tubing. Eleva- tors, ductwork and mechanical work also are designed with safety features in the event of an earthquake. Three Distinct Zones The new courthouse has been zoned into three distinct areas or corridors: one for the public, a sec- ond for court staff, and a third for criminal defendants. This separa- tion of staff, public and defendant users of the building is designed to prevent conflicts with potential ju- rors, enhance safety, and provide more humane treatment for criminal defendants. The Public Corridor Even before entering the new courthouse at the main entrance to the building on Fourth Avenue, the continued on page 16 Non proit Organialimf U.S. Polinge Paid penit No. 401 Anchorage, Alsa T6 k 77m^ 0t4.! Alaska Bar Association Annual Convention Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage INSIDE: t Letters PROVOCATIVE * Put children first ARTICLES * Multimedia at trial A Indigent eligibility e Internet basics $2.00 ff VOLUME 20, NO. 1 Dlgnhlo& semper dignitas JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1996

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