Social Services Attorneys Winter Conference
- Chapel Hill, NCThis course is also available online.February 19 - 20, 2026
Attendees are limited to attorneys and paralegals representing county departments of social services. The 2025 program will be held February 20-21, 2025 (Thursday and Friday) via Zoom.
2025 Social Services Attorneys Winter Conference topics:
Child Welfare Case Update
DHHS Update
Appellate Procedure
Transition to Odyssey (Tech CLE)
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence (Ethics CLE)
Tough Issues in Adult Services
DSS Involved Migrant Children
A 30 minute business meeting of the Social Services Attorneys Association will also be held during the conference on Thursday.
The summer conference for DSS Attorneys / County Attorneys will be held on July 17 – 19, 2025 in Wrightsville Beach. Please visit the course webpage here for additional information.
Additional information
Attendees are limited to attorneys and paralegals representing county departments of social services.
An announcement will be sent to all registrants when materials are available for downloading/printing.
For materials from past conferences, click here.
As a webcast (Zoom) conference participant, you will view the presentations on a computer for the duration of the conference.
CONTINUING EDUCATION: This course is pending approved with the North Carolina State Bar for 8 hours of CLE credit.
| General | 6.00 hrs |
| Ethics | 1.00 hrs |
| Technology | 1.00 hrs |
| Total | 8.00 hrs |
- Chapel Hill, NCThis course is also available online.February 19 - 20, 2026The School of Government
400 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
The Materials for this course will be posted here for participants to access. Hard copies will not be provided, on-site and webcast participants may print the items they would like hard copies of.
2025 Paralegal Certificate of Attendance
2025 DSS Winter Conference Partial CLE Credit Form
2025 Social Services Attorneys Winter Conference Agenda
Thursday, February 20 (3.5 CLE)
DHHS Update
Gail Carelli, Assistant General Counsel for Child Welfare & County Operations, NC DHHS
Recurring Legal Issues in Adult Services
Meredith Smith, UNC School of Government
Transitioning to Odyssey: [Tech CLE] - Slides PDF
Heather McCorkle, Esq. Guilford County DSS, Panel Moderator
Wanda Medley, Office Administrator, Guilford County DSS
Kristy Tarleton, Systems Analyst III, AOC Business & Process Management
Seth Houk, Systems Analyst II, AOC Business & Process Management
Friday, February 21 (5.5 CLE)
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence [Ethics CLE] - Slides PDF
Kristi Nickodem, UNC School of Government
Navigating Barriers to Family Unity and Permanency for Immigrant Children - Slides PDF
NC DSS Resource Sheet - PDF Handout
Shaina Simenas, LMSW, MPH, Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
Ashley Cruz, Staff Attorney, Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights
Rachel Konrad, Immigration Attorney, Casey Family Programs
Appellate Procedure - PDF Handout
Mercedes Chut, Esq.
2025 Winter DSS Attorney Case Summaries July 3 to Feb. 17 2025 -PDF
NC Supreme Court Opinion Clarifies and Changes Findings Required in A/N/D Orders - Blog Post
A Second Look at In re A.K., Addressing Cultural Issues in A/N/D Cases - Blog Post
Rule 17 GALs for Respondent Parents: A Final Lesson from In re A.K. - Blog Post
Sara DePasquale, UNC School of Government
