Tonja Woelber

Tonja has been an Alaska resident since 1980. She practices in the areas of estate planning, probate administration, trust administration and protective proceedings (guardianships and conservatorships). She also practices corporate, commercial, and real estate law. She has extensive trial experience in all of these areas.

Educational background:

Northeastern University Law School, Boston, Mass, J.D., 1980
Harvard University, BA Degree, cum laude, 1977
Philadelphia High School for Girls, Valedictorian, 1973

Professional positions:

Owner, Woelber & Associates, PC
Member Manager, Woelber & Cole, LLC
Member Manager, Woelber & Passard, LLC, 2009-2017
Owner, Tonja Woelber, Attorney at Law, PC, 1991-present
Assistant Attorney General, Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals. State of Alaska, 1988-1990
Staff attorney, Alaska Court of Appeals, 1983-1988
Staff attorney to Senator Ted Stevens, United States Senate, 1981-1983
Law Clerk to Superior Court Judge Seaborn J Buckalew, 1980-1981

Speaking engagements:

Speaker and Moderator: “Probate Ethics 2021: Clients with Impaired Capacity,” Probate Section of the Alaska Bar Association, December 2021
Panelist and Moderator: “Year-End Ethics CLE,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, December 2021
Panelist and Moderator: “Year-End Ethics CLE,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, December 2020
Speaker: “Quiet Title Actions and Real Estate Probate Actions,” Probate Section of the Alaska Bar Association, November 2020
Moderator: “Year-End Ethics CLE,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, December 2019
Speaker and Moderator: “Title 13: Practicing Efficiently and Ethically in 2020,” Probate Section of the Alaska Bar Association, December 2019
Moderator and Panelist: “Dementia: Clinical, Legal and Financial Challenges,” Alaska Bar Association CLE, November 2018
Speaker and Panelist: “Trust Protectors: What They Can Do, What They Should Do, and How to Choose One Wisely”, Probate Section of the Alaska Bar Association, April 2018
Moderator: “What’s Your Legacy? A Wills and Trusts Discussion,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawers, February 2018
Speaker: “Estate Planning for 2018,” ERISA Forum, February 2018
Moderator: “Year-End Ethics CLE,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, December 2017
Panelist: “Don’t Let the Jokers Drive You Batty!” Alaska Bar Association Ethics CLE, December 2016
Moderator: “Year-End Ethics CLE,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, December 2016
Moderator: “Women’s Health Care: What You Need to Know,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, January 2016
Panelist: “Year-End Ethics CLE,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, December 2015
Panelist: “Work-Life Balance for Lawyers: It Can Be Done,” Alaska Bar Association Annual Convention, May 2015
Moderator: “Financial Planning for Women,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, April 2015
Speaker: “Work Life Balance” Perkins Coie and the Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, March 2015
Moderator: “The State of the State: Arctic Development,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, February 2015
Moderator: “Negotiating Skills for Women Lawyers,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, June 2014
Panelist and Moderator: “What’s It Like To Be An Owner?” Alaska Bar Association CLE, May 2014
Speaker: YWCA Women’s Economic Empowerment Summit, “The Art of Negotiation,” May 2014
Speaker: “Legal Issues in Charitable Giving,” St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Anchorage, Alaska, March 2014
Speaker: “Disclaimers and Beneficiary Planning,” Anchorage ERISA Forum, March 2014
Speaker: “The Art of Negotiation,” YWCA Alaska Panel, February 2014
Chair and Speaker: Alaska Bar Association CLE: “Probate Litigation and Mediation,” February 2013.
Speaker: “Estate Planning: What You Need to Do and When You Need To Do It,” Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, October 2012.
Speaker: “Succession Planning for the Family Cabin,” Anchorage Estate Planning Council, February 2012
Speaker: “Wills and Trusts in the Fine Arts,” Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Alaska Bar Assoc, December 2011
Chair and Speaker: Alaska Bar Association CLE: “Five Easy Pieces: The Five Most Common Trusts in Alaska,” May 2009
Co-Chair and Speaker: Alaska Bar Association CLE: “Ethics Issues in Estate Planning, Probate and Elder Law,” October 2008
Speaker: Alaska Bar Association CLE: “Business Valuations: What Is It Worth?” February 1999
Chair and Speaker: Alaska Bar Association CLE: “Probate Practice: Learn Your Way Around Alaska’s Probate Court,” October 1998
Chair and Speaker: Alaska Bar Association CLE: “Limited Liability Vehicles,” October 1997
Speaker: Alaska Bar Association CLE: “1997 Probate in Alaska,” March 1997

Civic and community activities

Trustee, Endowment Trust of the Anchorage Senior Activities Center, 2015-2019
Advisory Committee Member, Anchorage Schools Foundation, Alaska Community Foundation, 2012-2019
Member of the Alaska Bar Association Fee Arbitration Committee, 2011-2019
Board Member, Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, 2011-2019
Executive Committee of the Business Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association, 2011-2017
Co-President, Anchorage Association of Women Lawyers, Ltd., 2015-2017
Board of Directors for the Anchorage Senior Activities Center from 2010 to 2014
Co-chair of Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Alaska Bar Assoc. 2011-2013
Volunteer Coach for “The Color of Justice,” a program for minority students considering a legal career: 2011 Mentor Jet and mock trial coach; 2013 Mentor Jet.
President, Anchorage Estate Planning Council 2003-2004
Chair, Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Alaska Bar Association, 2007-2008; 1997-1999
Vice President, Anchorage Estate Planning Council, 2002-2003
Director, Anchorage Estate Planning Council, 1997-2001
Member, Law Examiners Committee of the Alaska Bar Association for nine years
President, Harvard Club of Alaska, 1994 – 1996 and from 2000-2002

Contact Tonja