Felony Defender Training
- Chapel Hill, NCFebruary 4 - 6, 2026
February 4-6, 2026 | 9:00am-5:15pm | Chapel Hill
Registration will close Friday, January 23.
This program is open to attorneys who are new to representing defendants charged with felonies in superior court. Topics will include discovery and investigation, suppression and other superior court motions, lab reports, preserving the record, sentencing, and trial skills—including conducting voir dire—necessary to handle felony cases from start to finish. The program is comprised of plenary sessions and intensive small-group workshops.
For information on 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 $575. There is no fee for IDS state employees.
CONTINUING EDUCATION INFORMATION
The program will offer approximately 17.75 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credit, including one hour of ethics CLE credit, subject to Bar approval.
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 on Friday, January 16. Please refer to the scholarship website for additional information.
HOTEL INFORMATION
A block of rooms is available at Hampton Inn & Suites Chapel Hill/Durham (6121 Farrington Rd, Chapel Hill, NC) with a rate of $119 plus taxes and fees valid for stay dates of February 3-6. The hotel reservation deadline is Tuesday, January 13. The rate includes complimentary breakfast, parking, and free internet. Upon arrival, the front desk agent will give you a code to enter after scanning the QR code to validate your parking along with the license plate number. To reserve a room, please refer to the hotel’s website or call the hotel directly at (919) 403-8700 and mention group code "902" or " Felony Defender Training."
PARKING INFORMATION
Parking details will be provided to you by your program manager the week prior to the program. Additional directions and parking information can be found on our Visitor Information page.
MATERIALS
Program 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 Office of Indigent Defense Services.
- Chapel Hill, NCFebruary 4 - 6, 2026UNC School of Government
400 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514View Cancellation PolicyCourse participants who cancel their registration on or before January 27, 2026 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after January 28, 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 apply51Public 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:
$575.00Registration 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. Please refer to the scholarship website for additional information. You must receive pre-approval for a scholarship before registering for the course.
$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.
Materials for the 2026 Felony Defender Training (February 4-6, 2026) can be found online.
