The Law and Finance Division: A guide to the substantive work of its faculty
Serving North Carolina’s state and local government officials, the UNC School of Government’s Law and Finance Division provides research, advising, and training for audiences including elected officials, government attorneys, local government managers and department heads, and state agency officials.
Substantively, the Division covers a wide range of government topics. Its 28 faculty members provide consulting and instruction about topics including government transparency, local taxes and public finance, infrastructure, environmental regulation, planning and community development, public health and social services, and more. Many faculty author popular publications and blog posts on these respective topics, including in Coates’ Canons, Community and Economic Development in North Carolina, and Death and Taxes. The Division also houses four of the School’s entrepreneurial initiatives: the Development Finance Initiative, the Environmental Finance Center, Lead for North Carolina, and the Legislative Reporting Service.
It's not uncommon for faculty and staff to partner across the School's planning divisions (Law and Finance; Management, Administration, and Leadership; Courts Group; Master of Public Administration) on substantive work with public officials and students. Together, faculty serve an extensive array of officials with diverse needs, ranging from training for court officials, to education on leadership and governance, to preparing new generations of public service leaders. See the School’s updated Fields of Expertise list to learn more.
Several new faculty members have joined the division to bring new subject matter experience, while others have expanded and shifted their focus. The information below will help public officials quickly find faculty members who match their needed areas of expertise for training and advising.
Get to know more about the faculty who currently comprise the division, their areas of expertise, and how they leverage that expertise to advance the School’s mission. A printable reference guide (pdf) of the School's Law and Finance Division faculty is also available.
Associate Professor of Public Administration and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Tax Policy
- Specialization in sales and income taxes
- Budgeting Policy
- Revenue Forecasting
- Local Government Finance
- State Government Finance
Teaching Professor
Areas of expertise:
- Budget & Fiscal Control Act
- Governmental Accounting and Reporting
- Cash Management and Investments
- External Audit Requirements and Procedures
- Financial Condition Analysis
- Fiduciary Duties and Responsibilities
Teaching Assistant Professor
Areas of expertise:
- Federal Grant Compliance
- Internal controls & financial management for grants
- American Rescue Plan
- Grant Writing/Grant Opportunities
- Lead for North Carolina
- Short Term Rental Regulation
Teaching Assistant Professor in Public Finance and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Property Tax Appraisal and Assessment
Associate Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Mental Health and Substance Use Law
- Local Management Entities and Managed Care Organizations
- Confidentiality (mental health records)
Assistant Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Sales and Use Tax Law – Applicability, Distribution, and Administration
- Local Government Revenues Other Than Property Tax
- Payroll
- Permitted Investments
- Issuance of Municipal Debt and Securities
On transitioning to working under a new substantive area of expertise at the School:
“In June 2022, I shifted my work away from local government procurement and contracting and into local government finance. Over the next year, I will focus my work on local government revenues, including sales and use tax; local government cash management and investments, payroll issues, including federal and state tax withholding; and the issuance of North Carolina municipal bonds and related topics in federal tax and securities law.”
Teaching Assistant Professor
Areas of expertise:
- Procurement (Public Purchasing, Construction, and Bidding)
- State and Federal (Uniform Guidance)
- Contracting
- Public Property Disposal Law
- Ethics and Conflicts of Interest in Procurement
- Federal Grant Compliance
On what has surprised her about working at the School:
“Even though I have only been here for a little over a month, I have been surprised by the volume of requests for advising that the School receives. When I worked in local government, I connected directly with School of Government faculty on a few occasions. Now being on the other side, it’s clear how much local governments of all sizes rely on the School for its expertise. The advising requests range from fairly simple to very complex—and answering these questions is essential for local governments in North Carolina to function at their best.”
Albert and Gladys Hall Coates Distinguished Term Associate Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Child Welfare Law
- Confidentiality in Social Services
- Immunization, Children and Adolescents
Assistant Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Planning, Comprehensive and Land Use
- Constitutional Land Use Matters
- Land Use Zoning and Subdivision
- Annexation and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
- Stormwater Management Law
Charles Edwin Hinsdale Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Voting Rights, Elections Law, Redistricting
- Public Employment Law
- Social Media in Employment Law
- Public Records and Personnel
- Public Education Law (Employment and Community College)
- Open Meetings
Albert and Gladys Hall Coates Distinguished Term Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Public Employment Law
- Personnel Records
Associate Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Planning, Comprehensive and Land Use
- Constitutional Land Use Matters
- Land Use Zoning
- Land Subdivision
- Historic Preservation
On the clients with which he works:
“I work with all kinds of government officials: planning directors, zoning officers, local government attorneys, elected officials, appointed board members, state agency officials, and more. But I also answer calls from developers’ attorneys, local news reporters, advocacy groups, upset neighbors, and disgruntled citizens. That’s one of the amazing things about our work here at the School of Government—we are here to help public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government.”
Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Property Tax Administration, Listing, Appraisal, and Collection
- Special Tax Districts
- Occupancy Tax Administration & Collection
- Collection of Other Local Taxes & Fees (Special Assessments, Demolition Liens, Nuisance Abatement Fees, etc.)
- Ethics for Government Attorneys
- Open Government Laws Relating to Local Tax Administration
Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Counties, Municipalities, Public Authorities Structure, Powers and Authorities (Nonregulatory)
- Local Government Services and Funding
- Capital Finance
- Budgeting and Fiscal Control
- American Rescue Plan and Grants Compliance
- Utilities (Governance, regionalization, finance authority, administration)
Associate Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Public Health Law
- Confidentiality (Health Records)
Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Term Professor of Public Law and Government;
Director, Development Finance Initiative
Areas of expertise:
- Community Development
- Economic Development
- Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization
- Public-Private Partnerships for Development and Development Finance
- Downtown Development and Main Street Program
Assistant Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Human Services Organization and Governance
- Powers and Duties of Social Services Directors and Boards
- Consolidated Human Services Agencies
- Confidentiality (Social Services Records)
Associate Director, Development Finance Initiative
Areas of expertise:
- Community Development
- Development Finance
- Public-Private Partnerships (Development)
- Main Street Program
- Affordable Housing
Executive Director, Environmental Finance Center
Areas of expertise:
- Environmental Finance Center (EFC)
- Water & Sewer Law & Policy
- Stormwater Management Law
- Infrastructure Finance
- Water, Sewer, Stormwater, Solid Waste Administration
On the substantive work of EFC:
“Our work focuses on helping communities sustainably finance environmental services. We predominantly work on questions related to water, wastewater, and stormwater, and we create finance and governance resources, tools, and support which help communities reach sustainable solutions.”
Professor of Public Administration and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Budget Preparation and Enactment
- Capital Budgeting and Finance
- Financial Condition Analysis
- Performance Measurement and Management
Executive Director, Lead for North Carolina
Areas of expertise:
- Lead for North Carolina
- Grant Writing
Albert Coates Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Registers of Deeds
- Property Records
- Real Estate Law
- Municipal Eminent Domain
- Municipal Streets Law
Professor of Public Law and Government;
Director, Center for Public Technology
Areas of expertise:
- Information Technology
- Cybersecurity
- Social Media
- Broadband
Gladys Hall Coates Professor of Public Law and Policy
Areas of expertise:
- Environmental Law
- Stormwater Management Law
- Soil & Water Conservation District Law
- Solid Waste Management Law
Assistant Professor of Public Law and Government
Areas of expertise:
- Local Government Clerk Duties
- Public Records and Records Retention
- Open Meetings, Public Hearings, and Notice
- Board Procedures and Parliamentary Rules
- Conflicts of Interest for Voting
On an interesting project she is currently undertaking:
“Kristi Nickodem and I are working on a writing project discussing First Amendment audits. First Amendment audits are a social movement where private citizens enter government buildings and try to film. It’s a complex issue with many layers, and it has been a challenge to explore its many facets and distill it into a digestible format.”
Director, Legislative Reporting Service
Areas of expertise:
- N.C. General Assembly & Legislation
- Legislative Reporting Service
On why she enjoys working at the School:
“One great thing about working at the School is that we get to work with people from all over North Carolina. It is great to be able to talk with government employees and citizens from towns and cities all over our state. I’m always surprised about how willing everyone is to help out their colleagues, even on short notice. Everyone is busy, but that never stops anyone from helping out during someone’s time of need or from agreeing to share their time and knowledge.”