In August 2000, the North Carolina General Assembly enacted the Indigent Defense Services Act, which created the Office of Indigent Defense Services and charged it with overseeing and enhancing the provision of legal representation to indigent defendants and others entitled to counsel under North Carolina law. The School of Government collaborates with the Office of Indigent Defense Services to create quality, cost-effective indigent defense education, including innovative training programs, manuals, and online resources, to ensure that indigent defenders have the qualifications, training, and support they need to be effective.
UPCOMING TRAININGS
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:
New On-Demand Content: 2025 Winter Criminal Law Webinar
New Blog Post: Chapter 35A GALs and Access to Records Held by Third Parties by Timothy Heinle
New Blog Post: Case Summaries: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (Nov. 2025) by Phil Dixon
New Podcast: Episode 22: NC Criminal Debrief Podcast hosted by Phil Dixon
New Blog Post: An Update on North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Harm Reduction Law by Phil Dixon






