Higher-Level Felony Defense
- Chapel Hill, NCSeptember 8 - 10, 2026
September 8 - 10, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Chapel Hill
Registration will close on Friday, August 28.
The course is open to attorneys interested in handling higher-level felony cases at the trial level. Topics will include preparing for serious felony cases, eyewitness identifications, habitual felons, self-defense, client relations and rapport, sentencing law and advocacy, and mitigation investigation.
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 attorneys is $375. There is no fee for IDS state employees and private assigned and managed assigned counsel.
CONTINUING EDUCATION INFORMATION
The course will offer approximately 13 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credit, including one hour of ethics, subject to Bar approval.
REQUIREMENTS
The course consists of a mix of lectures and intensive small-group workshops. Due to the course's interactive nature, participants must attend all sessions.
Due to the expected level of interest, the intensive nature of the course, and limits on seating capacity, the course will be capped at 30 total participants. You must take the following steps BEFORE you can register.
- If you are in a public defender’s office, you must obtain the approval of your Chief Public Defender to register. Because of limited space, each office is allotted one slot.
- If you are a private assigned counsel or managed assigned counsel, you must currently represent appointed felony clients to register.
Additional information
HOTEL INFORMATION
Hotel block information will be shared at a later date.
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, NCSeptember 8 - 10, 2026UNC School of Government
400 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514View Cancellation PolicyCourse participants who cancel their registration on or before August 31, 2026 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after September 01, 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 apply30Public 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:
$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 Attorneys:
$375.00Registration 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 2025 Higher-Level Felony Defense Training (September 9-11, 2025) can be found online.
Kayla Fowler
