Joseph Laizure joins North Carolina Judicial College faculty to work in civil procedure

The UNC School of Government is pleased to welcome Joseph Laizure into its faculty ranks. Joining the School’s North Carolina Judicial College in December 2024, he works with court officials, court staff, and attorneys in the areas of civil procedure, the enforcement of judgments and supplemental proceedings, court-ordered attorney fees, order drafting, and the conduct of hearings and trials.

Laizure was drawn to the work of civil law, he said, to ensure the state’s justice system operates in good faith. 

“Part of the public good, as it relates to the civil justice system, is making sure that lawsuits proceed according to the rules,” he said. “The rules of civil procedure were created to take ‘legal sparring and fencing and surprise moves’ out of lawsuits in North Carolina. I have always been fascinated by the way that court rules must strive to do justice even though a wide range of procedural moves are possible.” 

Prior to joining the faculty, Laizure worked as the staff attorney at UNC School of Law Clinical Programs, where he handled civil cases while students were out of session and supervised law students in their clinical work during the academic year. In that role, he also consulted with law faculty on questions related to civil procedure and other civil legal issues.

Before working at UNC, he worked as a staff attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina, where his practice involved criminal record expungement, housing, advance planning for cancer patients, and domestic violence. He earned a law degree from the University of Minnesota.

As part of this work, Laizure frequently sought guidance from the School’s published resources in the field. When the chance to contribute to this scholarship presented itself, he seized the opportunity. 

“As a civil practitioner in North Carolina’s trial courts for over a decade, I relied on the written work of School of Government faculty to understand changing areas of law and to help me make sure that I was prepared heading into the courtroom,” he said. “When I saw that the School was hiring in the area of civil law and procedure, I was thrilled by the chance to join a group of scholars whose work I had admired for so long.”

At the School, Laizure’s work will  focus on presenting to superior and district court judges, as well as clerks and magistrates at orientations, conferences, and other trainings.

“I will also be writing on issues in civil procedure that are novel, changing, or could otherwise use a new look,” Laizure said. He will be available by phone and email to consult on questions related to civil law and procedure.

In the role, Laizure hopes to embody the School’s core value of responsiveness—and to publish scholarship that reflects the School’s mission to connect public sector theory with practice.

“I want to serve public officials and remain responsive to their needs. When thinking about writing projects, I am most inspired by actual problems that judges encounter, and I look forward to the opportunity to research and write on real questions.”