Congratulations to our September Volunteer Attorney of the Month, Jessica Falke!
Jessica recently helped an ANDSVA client obtain full legal and primary physical custody as well as a long-term protective order!
Jessica was born and raised in Anchorage, but lived in Washington state for a short time. She began her undergrad at Central Washington University, but she took a break after two years to explore other interests. In 2016, she began at the family law firm Nyquist Law Group as a legal assistant. This experience confirmed her interest in law, and she returned to UAA to get a bachelor’s in legal studies. She attended Mitchell Hamline School of Law, which offered distance learning, and received a certificate in Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice. In not one, but two full circle moments, Jessica is now an associate attorney at Nyquist Law Group and teaching at UAA as an adjunct professor in the legal studies program.
Jessica is deeply committed to pro bono work and takes pro bono referrals from ANDVSA and ALSC, takes on pro bono clients on her own, and volunteers at all the pro bono legal advice clinics offered by the Alaska Bar. For those considering pro bono work, Jessica emphasizes that there is “no wrong or right way to donate your legal services” and that attorneys “all have a responsibility with the legal information we have — we can do a little bit for people to make a huge impact on their lives.” Jessica works hard to have at least one pro bono client at a time and encourages others to find the time to do pro bono work “whether it’s 20 minutes answering a question on Alaska Free Legal Answers or 20 hours getting someone a long-term protective order.”
Jessica emphasizes the value of the ANDVSA trainings and Nyquist Law Group often encourages new employees to take on pro bono cases to gain valuable experience in family law. Any attorney, whether they have experience in family law or not could volunteer with ANDVSA with the robust training and mentorship support.
Professionally, Jessica is looking forward to continuing to donate her time and expertise to those in need of family law legal assistance. Jessica believes that family law is one of the most rewarding areas of laws since it can “change the trajectory of families’ lives and break the cycle of abuse.” Personally, Jessica is looking forward to spending time outside with her family and three dogs as much as possible before winter arrives.
Thank you for all your hard work, Jessica!