ANJC welcomes Maude Blair as Tribal Justice Manager and Samantha Cherot as Managing Attorney
The Alaska Native Justice Center (ANJC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Maude Blair as Tribal Justice Manager and Samantha Cherot as Managing Attorney. These strategic hires increase the number of attorneys on staff to eight with the full team growing to thirty staff. ANJC provides integrated legal and case management services to victims and survivors of crime. ANJC also represents Alaska Tribes in state court Indian Child Welfare Act cases and partners with Alaska Tribes in supporting tribal sovereignty and self determination of tribal justice systems.
Maude Blair, Iñupiaq, joins ANJC as Tribal Justice Manager. She will coordinate all aspects of ANJC’s Tribal Justice Support program, including statewide Tribal Justice initiatives. Before joining ANJC, Blair served as the Senior Corporate Counsel for Southcentral Foundation (SCF) and worked for the Alaska Federation of Natives and NANA Development Corporation. She is also actively involved in the community, holding a board position at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and co-chairing the Alaska Native Law Section. Born and raised in Kiana and Kotzebue, she earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and her J.D. and Indian Law Certificate from Arizona State University.
Samantha Cherot, will join ANJC as Managing Attorney in October. As Managing Attorney, Samantha will play a pivotal role in ANJC’s service delivery system. She will collaborate with the Chief Operating Officer to strategize and develop service delivery processes. Samantha brings a wealth of experience in public defense and legal administration to her role. Samantha’s previous position as the Public Defender for the State of Alaska saw her oversee 13 offices throughout the state, providing representation to indigent persons in various legal matters. Born and raised in Anchorage, Samantha earned her B.S. degree in Political Science from Santa Clara University and her J.D. degree from California Western School of Law.
“We are very excited to have Maude and Samantha join our team at ANJC and join us in our mission of Justice for Alaska Native people. Their wealth of experience will support our operations and help us continue to meet the needs of the people and Alaska Tribes we serve,” shared Alex Cleghorn, Chief Operating Officer of ANJC.
The Alaska Native Justice Center (ANJC) is dedicated to addressing the unmet needs of Alaska Native people and others within the civil and criminal justice systems. ANJC offers services to individuals of all backgrounds and integrates culture-based advocacy programs and intervention initiatives, essential for resolving legal challenges such as divorce, child custody, domestic violence/sexual assault, human trafficking, victims of crime, and youth development.
For more information about the Alaska Native Justice Center and its vital mission, please visit www.anjc.org.