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
Juvenile Defender Conference: August 19, 2026
Parent Attorney Conference: August 20, 2026
Higher-Level Felony Defense: September 8-10, 2026
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:
New Courses:
Courses from the Defending Sexual Assault Cases Training are now live. Check out our Recent Content section.
New Blog Posts:
News Roundup by Phil Dixon
N.C. Supreme Court Affirms Totality of Circumstances Test for Probable Cause in Marijuana Cases by Phil Dixon
Case Summary – U.S. Supreme Court (June 18, 2026) by Phil Dixon
Case Summaries: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (June 2026) by Phil Dixon
People Versus Paper: Considering the Admissibility and Weight of Business Records Containing Hearsay by Timothy Heinle
New Podcasts:
Episode 25: NC Criminal Debrief Podcast hosted by Phil Dixon
Episode 26: NC Criminal Debrief Podcast hosted by Phil Dixon
Faculty Coordinators
