2025 Felony Defender Training
February 5, 2025 - February 7, 2025
Registration for the Felony Defender Training, scheduled for February 5-7, 2025, is now open and available at https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/felony-defender-training. This training is co-sponsored by the UNC School of Government and the Office of Indigent Defense Services.
Agenda – 2025 Felony Defender Training
Program: The program will be held at the School of Government with topics covering discovery and investigation, suppression and other superior court motions, lab reports, preserving the record, sentencing, and trial skills—including conducting voir dire—necessary to handle felony cases from start to finish. The program is comprised of plenary sessions and intensive small group workshops.
Participants: This training is open to public defenders, private assigned and managed assigned counsel who perform a significant amount of appointed work. The program is geared toward attorneys who are new to representing defendants charged with felonies in superior court.
REGISTRATION: To register and find other program information, visit https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/felony-defender-training. The registration deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24. Please plan on attending all sessions.
FEE: The registration fee for private assigned and managed assigned counsel is $475, which includes all materials, parking, breaks, and lunches. There is no fee for IDS state employees.
A limited number of scholarships are available for private assigned and managed assigned counsel. If you are interested in applying, click here to complete the scholarship application. You must apply and receive approval for a scholarship before registering. Please apply as soon as possible. Scholarships are awarded no later than two weeks after application submission. The scholarship application deadline is Friday, January 17.
Credit & Certification: The program offers 17 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credit, including 1 hour of ethics/professional responsibility, and qualifies for the NC State Bar criminal law specialization credit (pending Bar approval).
Hotel Information: A block of rooms is available at Hampton Inn & Suites Chapel Hill/Durham (6121 Farrington Road, Chapel Hill, NC) with a rate of $109 plus taxes and fees. The rate includes complimentary breakfast, parking, and free wi-fi. To reserve a room, book here or call the hotel directly at 919-403-8700 and mention group code “900” or “Felony Defender Training.” The hotel reservation deadline is Friday, January 17.
TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT—IDS STATE EMPLOYEES ONLY: Contact Shannon Simmons, IDS Accounts Payable Supervisor, at [email protected] or 919-890-1660. Please note that travel reimbursement forms must be submitted to IDS Financial Services by the end of the month following the travel, or reimbursement will be denied.
Additional Information: We look forward to seeing you in February. If you have any questions or would like further information, contact Program Manager Kayla Fowler at [email protected]. If you have questions regarding the content, contact Danny Spiegel, Assistant Professor of Criminal Law, Procedure, and Evidence, at [email protected].
The School of Government is committed to equality of educational opportunity. The School does not discriminate in offering access to its educational programs and activities on the basis of race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. If you have a disability and need accommodation to participate in any School of Government program, please let us know.
