Will Wright

Will is originally from Anchorage but attended school out of state, first undergrad at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, and then law school at the University of Minnesota. He clerked for a year on the Minnesota Supreme Court before returning to Alaska in the fall of 2022 to work as an associate at Schwabe, Williamson, and Wyatt.

The legacy of pro bono involvement at Schwabe led Will to volunteer at ANDVSA. “Several folks at the firm regularly volunteer with ANDVSA–specifically taking protective order cases–and they encouraged me to give it a try,” says Will. Will took his first ANDVSA case this year, which would lead to many “firsts” in his career–his first time working on a protective order, his first time working in family law, and his first time taking the lead in a hearing. The proximity to in-house experience was useful, as two of Will’s coworkers, Lee Baxter and Christopher Slottee, provided mentorship throughout the case: checking in and providing resources when Will had questions, looking over his witness exam outline, and providing reassurance where needed.

Will said he was grateful to have received such mentorship, and that he would encourage other attorneys to consider volunteering at ANDVSA, especially younger attorneys. “It is a pretty finite commitment, and it is a very tangible way to make real change, to help someone who really needs help. Professionally, it was valuable as well… As an early associate in a firm that does big civil matters, you don’t often have the opportunity to stand up in court.  This was a great way to gain that courtroom experience.”

Will also wanted to emphasize that taking this type of pro bono case was a good way to “break out of the corporate bubble,” saying, “In a practice like the one I’m at, where you’re doing mostly civil cases with high dollar amounts, your world can become very polished and contained. Doing one of these cases, you’re exposed to serious issues people outside the corporate-law world deal with and the situations they are in, and it’s a good wake up call.”

Outside of work, Will enjoys getting outside and spending time with his wife and two children, who are two years old and nine months old.

Thank you, Will, for dedicating your time to pro bono service!