Defender Trial School
- Chapel Hill, NCJuly 13 - 17, 2026
July 13 - 17, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Chapel Hill
Registration will close on Wednesday, June 17.
The course is open to public defenders and, space permitting, private attorneys who perform a significant amount of appointed work. Participants will use their own non-capital cases to develop a cohesive theory of defense at trial and apply that theory through all stages of a criminal trial, including voir dire, opening and closing arguments, and direct and cross-examination.
For information about other public defense education courses, visit our Public Defense Education site.
AGENDA
You can access the agenda here.
REGISTRATION FEE
The registration fee for private assigned and managed assigned counsel is $900. There is no fee for IDS state employees.
CONTINUING EDUCATION INFORMATION
The course will offer approximately 29.50 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credit, including 1 hour of ethics, and qualifies for NC State Bar criminal law specialization credit.
REQUIREMENTS
This course differs from others that you may have attended. This course is comprised of plenary sessions and intensive small-group workshops. Unlike other courses, you need to attend all of the sessions. Although you will be working from a hypothetical case in the plenary sessions, you will spend most of your time in small groups working on your own cases. Misdemeanor cases are permitted, but felony cases are preferred. The Guide for Participants explains the type of case to bring and the few steps to take to prepare for the course.
Additional information
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
A limited number of scholarships are available for private assigned and managed assigned counsel. If you are interested in applying, complete the scholarship application as soon as possible. If you receive a scholarship, the registration fee is waived. The scholarship deadline is 5:00 pm on Wednesday, June 10. Please refer to the scholarship website for additional information.
HOTEL INFORMATION
A block of rooms is available at the Tru by Hilton Chapel Hill (1742 Fordham Blvd, Chapel Hill, NC) for $124 plus tax. The hotel reservation deadline is Friday, June 12. To reserve a room, please refer to the hotel’s website here or call the hotel at (984) 291-7200 and ask for room block “90V” or “Defender Trial School.”
PARKING INFORMATION
Parking details will be provided to you by your program manager the week prior to the course. Additional directions and parking information can be found on our Visitor Information page.
MATERIALS
Course materials will be available under the "Materials" tab above. Materials are posted as they are received by instructors.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Course participants who cancel their registration more than 7 calendar days before the course start date will receive a full refund. Otherwise, participants will receive a transferrable credit to be used within 12 months. More information can be found in the full cancellation and refund policy.
SPONSORSHIP
This course is co-sponsored by the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services.
- Chapel Hill, NCJuly 13 - 17, 2026UNC School of Government
400 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514View Cancellation PolicyCourse participants who cancel their registration on or before July 05, 2026 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after July 06, 2026, but you will receive a transferrable credit to be used within 12 months. Click here to view the School’s full cancellation and refund policy.View Additional InformationMust apply41Public Defender/IDS Employee:
$0.00Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.Private Assigned Counsel/Managed Assigned Counsel/Non-IDS Employee:
$900.00Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.PAC/MAC Scholarship (Pre-Approval Required): A limited number of scholarships are available for private assigned and managed assigned counsel. You must receive pre-approval before registering for the course. Please refer to the scholarship application for additional information.
$0.00Registration and payment for this course grants access for a single attendee. In order to register a group of attendees, please register each person individually. If you have questions, please contact our registration office at registration@sog.unc.edu or 919.966.4414.
Kayla Fowler
