Russ Winner graduated from Stanford University in 1970 and the University of Chicago Law School in 1975. He has been practicing law in Alaska since 1978, and he is an experienced civil trial lawyer in both the federal and state courts.

Russ is active in the Native Law,
Natural Resources/Environmental Law, and Intellectual Property Law Sections of the Alaska Bar Association. He served on the Bar Examiners' Committee of the Alaska Bar Association. Russ has taught numerous seminars and continuing legal education courses in the areas of Alaska Native and Native corporation law, public lands,intellectual property and personal injury law.

Russ is active in the Alaska Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is past chair of the Alaska Action Trust, working with the Alaska legislature on legislation of interest to Alaska's trial attorneys. He is also a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.

Prior to establishing Winner & Associates in 1986, Russ worked for the Alaska Regional Solicitor's Office in the U.S. Department of the Interior and for the law offices of Graham & James, a San Francisco-based law firm with offices throughout the world. He was admitted to the Alaska Bar in 1978 and the Washington Bar in 1977.

Before coming to Alaska, Russ taught Environmental Law, Federal Courts, Remedies, and Ocean Law at Lewis & Clark Law School, in Portland, Oregon. He remains a member of the Board of Visitors of that school. Russ also taught Constitutional Law at the Justice Center of the University of Alaska Anchorage. He has written law review articles in the area of environmental law and ocean law.