Misdemeanor Defender
- Chapel Hill, NCDecember 1 - 4, 2026
December 1 - 4, 2026 | 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Chapel Hill
Registration will close on Friday, November 13.
The program serves as an introductory program for attorneys new to misdemeanor cases. Topics will include impaired driving, stops and searches, sentencing law, probation violations, evidence, ethics, and other issues that commonly arise in criminal district court. The program also includes small group workshops for participants to develop their negotiation and trial skills.
For information about other public defense education programs, 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 $600. There is no fee for IDS state employees.
CONTINUING EDUCATION INFORMATION
The program will offer approximately 21.75 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 5:00 pm on Friday, November 6. Please refer to the scholarship website for additional information.
HOTEL INFORMATION
A block of rooms is available at the Hyatt Place Chapel Hill/Southern Village for $125 plus tax. The hotel reservation deadline is Monday, November 9. To reserve a room, please refer to the hotel’s website here (Group Code: G-SGMD) or call the hotel at (919) 929-9511 (option 0) and ask for room block “Misdmeanor Defender”.
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
Program participants who cancel their registration more than 7 calendar days before the program 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 program is co-sponsored by the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services.
- Chapel Hill, NCDecember 1 - 4, 2026UNC School of Government
400 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514View Cancellation PolicyCourse participants who cancel their registration on or before November 23, 2026 will receive a full refund. No refund will be made for cancellations on or after November 24, 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 apply45Public 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:
$600.00Registration 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 (Registration 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 program.
$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 2025 Misdemeanor Defender Training (November 12-14, 2025) can be found online.
