Ali Wykis
Harvard Kennedy School
Mid-career Master in Public Administration Candidate

Ali Wykis is originally from Soldotna, Alaska and currently calls Anchorage home. Ali graduated with a Juris Doctor from Penn State Law and a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Purdue University. She was also a Hansard Scholar at the London School of Economics. Ali has spent her career in public service. She is an attorney specializing in child welfare and Alaska Native law. She has worked directly for sovereign tribal governments since 2017. For the last several years, she has represented 19 Tribes located throughout northwestern Alaska, many of which are in remote villages. In this role, she appeared as the Tribe’s attorney in hundreds of child welfare hearings. Additionally, she has argued in five cases before the Alaska Supreme Court, most of which involved first impression issues. She also advised Tribes with tribal governance matters and tribal court development. Ali has presented nationally and throughout Alaska on the Indian Child Welfare Act and tribal governance.  She previously worked as a public defender representing indigent Alaskans in child welfare, criminal, delinquency, mental health commitment, and guardianship cases. She also worked for Columbia University’s Global Freedom of Expression project as a legal researcher and editor, during which she analyzed international jurisprudence and crafted case summaries for the Global Case Law Database. Prior to attending law school, she worked at a non-profit in her hometown. Ali has also interned with Amnesty International USA, Alaska Innocence Project, U.S. Mission to the United Nations, a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, and a U.S. Senator. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree at Harvard Kennedy School to further enhance her policy, quantitative, and analytical skills. After graduating, she plans on returning to the legal field.

HKS Affiliations