Judge Stephanie E. Joannides was appointed to the District Court Bench in 1994 and to the Superior Court Bench in 2000. While on the Bench, Judge Joannides presided over numerous civil and criminal cases. Judge Joannides also served as a pro tem judge on the Court of (Criminal) Appeals and served for a time as the Administrative Head of the Three Judge Sentencing Panel.

Judge Joannides has always been interested in innovative programs. During her tenure, she served as the Alaska Chair of the Color of Justice Program—a national program designed to foster diversity in the legal profession and judiciary by encouraging students to become judges. She worked on the Felony Drug and DWI Courts in Alaska and co-developed the Early Resolution Program—a program to assist unrepresented litigants to resolve their family law issues through mediation and the help of volunteer attorneys.

Judge Joannides retired in 2011 and is now serving as a Senior Judge handling a variety of civil and criminal matters, mediations and settlement conferences. Judge Joannides is a graduate of the University of Santa Clara, California with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a law degree from Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington.