Homer will soon have its very first superior court judge at work at the local courthouse, now that assistant district attorney Bride Seifert of Kotzebue has been chosen to fill the new position.

Thirteen people applied to be the judge for the Homer Superior Court. Of those 13, three were nominated after the Alaska Judicial Council met Nov. 4-8 in the communities of Homer, Palmer and Valdez to interview applicants for judge positions in the Kenai and Palmer District Courts, and the Homer and Valdez Superior Courts.

On Friday, Dec. 6, Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who makes final appointments from the lists of nominees made by the council, announced he had chosen Seifert for the Homer Superior Court. Dunleavy also made appointments to the other courts, according to the press release.

Seifert has lived in Alaska for 8 1/2 years, and has practiced law for 10 years, according to the release. She graduated in 2010 from William Mitchell College of Law in Minnesota.

Homer and Valdez were the last two major communities in Alaska that lacked a superior court judgeship until Senate Bill 41 was passed and enacted earlier this year to establish them. Currently, superior court judges from Kenai travel down to Homer to handle superior court cases like felony crimes.

The Alaska Judicial Council is made up of seven members — three lawyers, three non-lawyers and the Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.