Sexual Assault Attorneys in Alaska: Your Complete Legal Guide

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Alaska allows a civil lawsuit “at any time” for conduct that would have been felony sexual abuse of a minor or felony sexual assault, while misdemeanor-level claims keep a three-year period with a discovery rule for survivors abused as children. A 2026 law, Chapter 9, SLA 26, raised the age in the civil sexual-abuse-of-a-minor statute from under 16 to under 18 for offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026, and rewrote the list of crimes that can be prosecuted at any time. Below are the civil and criminal rules, points to raise with a lawyer, and the Alaska firms on this page.

In an emergency, call 911. The National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-4673, can connect callers with local programs in Alaska.

The statutory descriptions below come from CHILD USA’s review of the 2025 Alaska Statutes and from the Alaska Legislature’s bill record and enrolled text of the 2026 act, all read in October 2026. They give an overview of the law and are not advice on a specific claim.

No Deadline for Felony-Level Sexual Abuse or Assault

As CHILD USA summarizes Alaska Stat. § 09.10.065(a), an action may be brought at any time for conduct that would have violated:

  1. felony sexual abuse of a minor;
  2. felony sexual assault;
  3. unlawful exploitation of a minor;
  4. felony sex trafficking; or
  5. felony human trafficking.

The rule turns on the conduct, not on whether anyone was prosecuted. A civil claim can rest on acts that “would have” violated those laws.

CHILD USA reports that Alaska has no provision reviving claims that expired before this rule took effect, so a claim already barred before the elimination is not addressed by it.

Misdemeanor-Level Claims: Three Years, With a Discovery Rule for Child Survivors

Under § 09.10.065(b), a three-year period from accrual applies to claims based on misdemeanor sexual abuse of a minor, misdemeanor sexual assault, incest, and felony indecent exposure.

Two features of § 09.10.140 extend that period:

  • Discovery (§ 09.10.140(b)). A claim of sexual abuse under AS 09.55.650 that is subject to the three-year rule may be brought more than three years after the plaintiff reaches the age of majority. For a single act, the action must begin within three years after the plaintiff discovered, or should have discovered, that the act caused the injury or condition. For a series of acts, the three years run from discovery of the effect of the series, not from the first time the survivor linked any one act to the injury.
  • Minority and incompetency (§ 09.10.140(a)). Time while the person is a minor, or incompetent because of mental illness or mental disability, is not counted, though outside subsection (b) the period is not extended more than two years after the disability ends.

The 2026 Change: Chapter 9, SLA 26

House Bill 239 became law without the Governor’s signature on June 18, 2026 as Chapter 9, SLA 26. For civil claims, section 1 of the enrolled act amends AS 09.55.650(a), the statute that lets a person who was sexually abused as a minor sue the perpetrator, to read: “A person who, as a minor under 18 [16] years of age, was the victim of sexual abuse may maintain an action for recovery of damages against the perpetrator.” The bracketed 16 is the age being replaced.

The change is not retroactive. Section 88(a)(1) provides that AS 09.55.650(a), as amended, applies “to offenses committed on or after the effective date,” and section 94 sets that date at July 1, 2026. For abuse of a 16- or 17-year-old before July 1, 2026, the earlier text, which covered minors under 16, still governs a claim under § 09.55.650(a).

Claims Against Organizations

Section 09.10.065 is written around the conduct, not the defendant. Whether a school, church, employer, or property owner can be held liable for abuse by its employee or on its premises depends on Alaska negligence law and on what the organization knew and did.

Criminal Deadlines Under AS 12.10.010

Prosecution is the state’s decision. CHILD USA, reading the 2025 text of Alaska Stat. § 12.10.010, reports:

  • No limit (§ 12.10.010(a)): felony sexual abuse of a minor; sexual assault that is an unclassified, class A, or class B felony; certain other offenses against a person under 18; distribution of child sexual abuse material; and specified sex trafficking and human trafficking offenses.
  • Ten years (§ 12.10.010(b)(1)): listed felony offenses outside subsection (a).
  • Five years (§ 12.10.010(b)(2)): any other offense, which CHILD USA notes includes misdemeanor sexual abuse of a minor.

Section 42 of the 2026 act rewrites § 12.10.010(a). As enacted, prosecution “may be commenced at any time” for murder and related offenses; felony sexual abuse of a minor; sexual assault that is an unclassified, class A, or class B felony or a violation of AS 11.41.425(a)(2) to (4); listed offenses “when committed against a person who, at the time of the offense, was under 18 years of age”; kidnapping; distribution of child sexual abuse material, including generated material; sex trafficking that is an unclassified, class A, or class B felony or committed against a person under 20; and human trafficking. Whether a change to this list reaches an offense committed before July 1, 2026 is a question for the prosecutor and defense counsel. The civil rules above do not depend on a prosecution.

Facts and Questions for an Alaska Lawyer

Have ready the survivor’s date of birth, the dates and nature of the acts, and the people and organizations involved. The conversation can then cover:

  1. Would the conduct have been a felony listed in § 09.10.065(a), removing the deadline?
  2. If it falls under § 09.10.065(b), what is the discovery date under § 09.10.140(b)?
  3. If the survivor was 16 or 17, did the abuse happen on or after July 1, 2026, when the amended § 09.55.650(a) applies?
  4. Which organization owed a duty, and what did it know?
  5. Does the firm represent any likely defendant or insurer in other matters?
  6. How are fees and case costs handled, including travel within Alaska?

Top 5 Sexual Assault Attorneys in Alaska

1. Power & Power Law

Power & Power Law is an Anchorage firm dedicated to assisting survivors of sexual assault and sexual abuse obtain compensation. The attorneys at Power & Power Law have decades of combined experience representing survivors of childhood sexual abuse throughout Alaska, including those abused by coaches, social workers, priests, teachers, police officers, business owners, and employees. The firm handles cases involving institutional negligence, including situations where a school, religious organization, or employer failed to provide adequate supervision or security. Free consultations are available.

2. Libbey Law Offices, LLC

Libbey Law Offices is an Anchorage firm whose attorneys are passionate about representing survivors of sexual abuse. The firm handles civil claims against perpetrators and third parties including employers and property owners who failed to provide adequate security. Attorneys Daniel Libbey and Colleen Libbey note that civil cases are entirely separate from criminal proceedings and that a civil lawsuit can proceed whether or not the perpetrator has been criminally charged, convicted, or acquitted. Recoverable damages include lost wages, loss of future earning capacity, medical and counseling expenses, and pain and suffering. The firm has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of injured Alaskans.

3. Law Office of Jason Skala, LLC

Attorney Jason Skala is a lifelong Alaskan and Cornell University graduate who earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School. He holds AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been licensed in both Alaska and California. The Law Office of Jason Skala handles sexual abuse and assault civil cases including abuse by persons in positions of trust and rideshare assault claims. Skala serves clients throughout Anchorage as well as Kotzebue, Bethel, and Barrow (Utqiagvik). His site explains Alaska’s age of consent laws and the state’s position-of-trust statute, which governs situations where coaches, teachers, clergy, counselors, and healthcare workers abuse those under their authority. Free consultations available.

4. Shortell Law LLC

Founding attorney Caitlin Shortell is a 2023, 2024, and 2025 Super Lawyer and a National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff’s Lawyer in Alaska. She has been litigating on behalf of survivors of sexual violence throughout her career and volunteers legal services for survivors through the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA) and the Times Up Legal Defense Fund. Shortell Law handles civil claims on behalf of juvenile and adult survivors of sexual violence, as well as sexual harassment in employment settings. Shortell has won landmark civil rights cases in Alaska courts and has more than 20 years of experience in state and federal proceedings.

5. Power & Power Law (Attorneys Whitney Power Wilson and Michele Power)

Given the concentrated nature of the Alaska legal market, Power & Power Law deserves additional note: the firm’s attorneys Whitney Power Wilson and Michele Power both specialize in sexual abuse civil litigation. Their practice specifically covers cases involving abusers in institutional settings including Boy Scout leaders, camp counselors, clergy, and foster parents. The firm’s website notes that Alaska’s elimination of civil statutes of limitations for felony sexual assault and felony sexual abuse of a minor means that even decades-old cases may still be actionable. The firm can be reached toll-free at 1-833-669-9990.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any deadline for a civil claim about felony sexual abuse I suffered as a child?

Under § 09.10.065(a) as it read in 2025, no: an action may be brought at any time for conduct that would have been felony sexual abuse of a minor. The 2026 act raised the age in § 09.55.650(a) to under 18 only for offenses on or after July 1, 2026, so for abuse at 16 or 17 before that date a lawyer should confirm which civil statute and period apply.

The abuse was a misdemeanor-level offense. Am I out of time at 21?

Not necessarily. Section 09.10.140(b) allows the claim more than three years after reaching majority, measured from when you discovered, or should have discovered, that the abuse caused the injury or condition.

Was there ever a window to revive old Alaska claims?

CHILD USA reports no Alaska revival provision.

Do I need a conviction to sue?

No. Section 09.10.065 turns on conduct that would have violated the listed laws, not on a conviction.

Support and Reporting Lines

  • Emergency: 911
  • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
  • Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (office): 907-586-3650

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