Public Defense Education
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Phil Dixon, Jr.
Profile
Phil Dixon joined the School of Government in 2017. Prior to coming to the School, he worked as a defense lawyer in eastern North Carolina for over eight years. During that time, he represented criminal defendants and juveniles charged with all types of crimes at the trial level. He earned a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a JD with highest honors from North Carolina Central University School of Law. Phil primarily works with public defenders and defense lawyers. In 2023, he became director of the School’s Public Defense Education group. In collaboration with Indigent Defense Services, he works to provide training and consultation to defenders and other court system actors, as well as to research and write on criminal law and related issues.
Monica Yelverton
Profile
Monica Yelverton is responsible for managing the operations of the Public Defense Education group, including overseeing the delivery of current programs and services, supervising administrative support, budgeting, assessing the feasibility of new educational initiatives, and managing new revenue streams. She joined the School of Government in 2015 as continuing education coordinator for public defense education. Previously, she analyzed occupational employment statistics as a social/clinical research assistant at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Prior to that, she was a special assistant in the governor’s office and a research assistant at the North Carolina General Assembly. Yelverton earned a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MPA from North Carolina Central University.
Timothy Heinle
Profile
Timothy Heinle joined the School of Government in 2020 as part of the School’s Public Defense Education program. After graduating from New England Law-Boston in 2009, he moved to eastern North Carolina where he spent a decade practicing law, including trial and appellate level work on juvenile abuse, neglect, and dependency cases; termination of parental rights hearings; incompetency and guardianship matters; and child support contempt proceedings. At the School, Heinle is primarily focused on providing education and resources to civil defense attorneys, including parent attorneys and guardian ad litem attorneys in adult incompetency matters.
Areas of Expertise
Criminal law and procedure; public defender training; evidence; indigent defense; domestic violence; subpoenas
Profile
John Rubin joined the School of Government in 1991. He previously practiced law for nine years in Washington, DC and Los Angeles. At the School, he specializes in criminal law and indigent defense education. He has written several articles and books on criminal law; teaches and consults with judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and other officials in the criminal justice system. He is a frequent consultant to the Office of Indigent Defense Services, which is responsible for overseeing and enhancing legal representation for indigent defendants and others entitled to counsel under North Carolina law. In 2008, he was awarded a two-year distinguished professorship for faculty excellence. In 2012, he was named Albert Coates Professor of Public Law and Government. Rubin earned a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and a JD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.