Professional Experience and Highlights: In addition to his experience as a litigator and appellate advocate, Scott Kendall offers a depth of expertise as a strategic consultant. He is well known for his work across all levels of government, across jurisdictions, and across political parties to design approaches that bring his clients positive results and disrupt negative outcomes.

Scott’s practice also includes providing guidance in matters related to strategic communications, as well as campaign and election law. He has represented organizations and individuals in proceedings before the Alaska Public Offices Commission and the Federal Elections Commission.

Scott’s campaign and election clients have included candidates for local, statewide, and national office as well as industry coalitions, non-profits, ballot measure groups, and independent campaign expenditure organizations (known as “superPACs”). In 2010, Scott was counsel to U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s historic, and successful, write-in campaign for reelection. In 2014, Scott drafted a successful statewide ballot measure aimed at protecting the world famous Bristol Bay salmon fishery.

From 2015 to 2016, Scott left the practice of law to serve as Campaign Coordinator for Senator Murkowski’s successful 2016 reelection campaign. And from 2016 to 2018 Scott served as Chief of Staff to Alaska Governor Bill Walker, providing him with a keen understanding of state government operations, as well as the complex relationships between state, federal, and local jurisdictions. During that time, Scott helped execute Governor Walker’s legislative strategy including the passage of landmark legislation transforming the way Alaska finances state government into an endowment or “POMV” model to protect the Alaska Permanent Fund in perpetuity.

More recently Scott authored, litigated, and advised the successful ballot measure campaign to improve Alaska’s statewide election system. The new system—which features a Top 4 open primary election along with Ranked Choice Voting in the general—has become a national model for election reform.

Early in his career, from 2003 to 2005, Scott served as law clerk to the Hon. Chief Judge of the Alaska Court of Appeals, Robert G. Coats.

Selected Appellate Decisions:

State of Alaska v. Recall Dunleavy, 491 P.3d 343 (Alaska 2021).
Meyer v. Alaskans for Better Elections, 465 P.3d 477 (Alaska 2020).
Hughes v. Treadwell, 341 P.3d 1121 (Alaska 2015).
Lake and Peninsula Borough v. Oberlatz, 329 P.3d 214 (Alaska 2014).
Miller v. Treadwell and Murkowski, 245 P.3d 867 (Alaska 2010).
State, Division of Elections v. Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Supreme Court Case No. S-14054, Order dated October 29, 2010.
Pebble L.P. v. Parnell, et al., 215 P.3d 1064 (Alaska 2009).

Professional Associations: Scott is a member of the Alaska Bar Association.

Practice Areas

• Administrative Law
• Appellate Practice
• Ballot Measures and Initiatives
• Civil Litigation
• Constitutional Law
• Elections and Campaign Finance Law
• Governmental Affairs
• Natural Resource Law
• Strategic Counsel and Communications
• Voting Rights

Admitted to Practice

• Alaska State Courts
• United State District Court, District of Alaska
• 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

Education

• Bachelor of Arts: Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, 2000
• Juris Doctor: University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, WA 2003

Community Involvement

• STAR Alaska, Board Member
• Institute of the North, Board Member (Vice Chair)