Employee Spotlight: Amy Doogan - Inspiring students through law and community service
by Jessica Degnan |
Justice Center Assistant Professor Amy Doogan, an Anchorage native and former nurse, was recently recognized for her work with the Color of Justice program, which received the 2025 Sandra Day O鈥機onnor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education. At 彩神vlll争霸, she teaches a wide range of legal studies courses and is passionate about helping students see how the law and Constitution shape daily life.
Name: Amy Doogan
Title: Assistant Professor
Unit: Justice Center
Hometown: Anchorage, AK
How long have you worked at 彩神vlll争霸/in this position?: Three years.
Tell us about your job. What do you do? What makes it unique?:
I teach in the Justice Center鈥檚 legal studies program. Because the legal studies program is small, all of the professors who teach in it have to be generalists. This means that I get to teach a wide range of courses. Some of them are practical and rules-based and are taken primarily by legal studies majors. Others are more theory-based and draw students, many of whom have no background in legal studies, from other programs at the university. Having to vary my teaching techniques and approaches to meet the learning needs of such a diverse group of students keeps my work challenging and rewarding!
What do you love the most about your work?:
I love helping students understand how the law, the Constitution, and the legal system shape not just our society, but their daily lives. I also love the opportunity my job gives me to serve the community. For the past few years, I鈥檝e helped coordinate the Alaska High School Mock Trial tournament, and I serve on a couple of law-related committees. I鈥檝e also volunteered for the Color of Justice program, which is designed to help introduce Alaska students from diverse backgrounds to careers in law and the judiciary. One of the key components of the Color of Justice program is a mock trial, and I recently assisted with rewriting the mock trial materials. I鈥檝e also served as a volunteer trial mentor for the program in the past. Color of Justice is a great program that just won a national award for excellence in civics education, and I love that my job allows me to be a part of things like that!
What is the most common question you receive at work?:
People are interested in my professional background (in addition to a lawyer, I鈥檓 a former registered nurse) and why I decided to go into teaching.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?:
My parents tell me I was once passionate about becoming a train driver.
What advice would you give to youth interested in pursuing a career in your field?:
Work hard in school, and seek out a mentor! Lawyers get a bad rap, but in my experience the legal field in Alaska is full of devoted practitioners who are willing to help aspiring lawyers or paralegals succeed. Never be afraid to reach out to someone and ask for guidance or advice 鈥� the worst thing they can do is say no, and most of them won鈥檛 even do that.
What is your favorite Alaska activity or other hobbies? What do you love about them?:
I have a mild physical disability so I鈥檓 not super outdoorsy, but I like to go on road trips and spot wildlife. Last year, my family drove through Canada and saw bears, moose, caribou, coyotes, foxes, and even a herd of wild horses! I love that Anchorage is a big city but is still so close to the wild.
Who inspired or continues to inspire you and why?:
My grandfather, Jim Doogan, has always been one of my biggest inspirations. He was passionate about the importance of education but didn鈥檛 have much of his own, because he had to drop out of school in the eighth grade and go to work in the mines to help support his younger siblings after his father got too sick to work. He always strongly encouraged all of us to stay in school, work hard, and give back where we could. He died before I went to law school, but I like to think he would have been proud of me for becoming a lawyer and even prouder of me for becoming a teacher.
What is your favorite quote? Why?:
鈥淗istory shall be kind to me, for I intend to write it.鈥� 鈥� Winston Churchill
This is kind of an unfair answer, because some say that this quote is apocryphal, but I love it anyway because it reminds me that nobody is just a spectator in life. If we want our future to be bright, it鈥檚 our right and our responsibility to make it that way.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I have a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Taylor Swift lyrics. Challenge me!
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