Publications

This quick reference guide provides ready access to common questions about state and federal gun laws, including where guns are prohibited, the requirements for purchasing a gun and for obtaining a concealed handgun permit, how guns must be stored, and how courts may dispose of guns under certain circumstances.

 This is an update to the 2017 edition of North Carolina Pattern Jury Instructions for Criminal Cases. 

Finance is a cornerstone of local government operations, cutting across multiple departments within a unit and defining the duties of many local government officials and employees. This book provides an overview of budgeting and financial management laws applicable to local governments and public authorities in North Carolina.

This edition covers legislative changes through July 1, 2018...

This supplement covers legislation enacted and case law decided from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2017. It is an essential companion to North Carolina Crimes: A Guidebook on the Elements of Crime, Seventh Edition, 2012, which incorporates statutory changes made through the 2011 session of the General Assembly and case law through December 31, 2011.

Purchase of the 2017...

This primer illustrates the flow of child abuse, neglect, and dependency cases in North Carolina. A case starts with a mandated report of suspected abuse, neglect, or dependency and ends with the termination of the district court’s jurisdiction over an abuse, neglect, or dependency proceeding.

There are many different stages and outcomes; some involve court action, and some do not....

North Carolina Pattern Jury Instructions for Motor Vehicle Negligence Cases (complete set, 1 volume) are sample jury instructions organized by motor vehicle law topic. Trial judges use them for particular cases based on the relevant law and facts and share them with juries as guidance for reaching a decision in their cases. The instructions are created and compiled by The Pattern Jury...

This short graphic novel—some might say comic book—explains how a felony prison sentence is served in North Carolina. The book, sold in packs of 10, follows an inmate from the moment sentence is pronounced to the day post-release supervision is completed, explaining where and how the time will be served. It shows the types of work and programs in which an inmate might participate and what sort...

This item is a package of Arrest, Search, and Investigation in North Carolina and the 2018 Cumulative Supplement to Arrest, Search and Investigation.  

This book covers the legal rules that govern an officer’s authority to enforce laws and to investigate criminal offenses. It also covers the basic rules of evidence in criminal cases. Supplementary material is placed in footnotes at the...

Local governments in North Carolina take the lead in traditional animal services activities, ranging from rabies control to dangerous dogs to animal cruelty. Many local governments go beyond the minimum requirements of state law and offer comprehensive animal services programs as a general public service. This book is designed to provide an overview of the laws that...

See below for a free PDF download of the 2016 Supplement.

This supplement covers legislation enacted and case law decided from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2017. It is an essential companion to North Carolina Crimes: A Guidebook on the Elements of Crime, Seventh Edition, 2012, which incorporates statutory changes made through the 2011 session of the General Assembly and case law through December 31, 2011.

Purchase of the 2017...

This supplement updates Arrest, Search, and Investigation in North Carolina, Fifth Edition, 2016, written by former School of Government faculty member Robert L. Farb. The 2016 main volume includes case law through June 2016 and statutory law through the 2016 legislative session. This supplement includes recent cases from the United...

Designed as a reference for North Carolina judges and litigants, this supplement discusses Davis v. Washington, the United States Supreme Courts first decision interpreting Crawford; describes a number of key issues that remain open even after Davis; and summarizes significant Crawford cases decided since publication of Crawford v. Washington: Confrontation One Year Later