Public Defense Education

Introduction | About Indigent Defense Services | Office of the Parent Defender

Training | Books and Listservs | Fee Applications | Other Forms

Parent Attorney Performance Guidelines | Related Websites

GREETINGS!

Congratulations on your decision to represent parent respondents in abuse, neglect and dependency proceedings — it is challenging but rewarding work. The School of Government (SOG), in partnership with the Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS), provides training and other legal resources for attorneys appointed to represent parent respondents. This letter includes a brief description of the people involved in indigent defense education and parent defender training, as well as an overview of training opportunities and resources.

WHO WE ARE

As the Program Attorney, I work with Professor John Rubin, Defender Educator Phil Dixon, Jr., and Associate Director of Programs and Services Monica Yelverton. My previous experience includes working as an assistant public defender in North Carolina District 14, where I represented parent respondents in abuse, neglect and dependency proceedings and juvenile respondents in delinquency proceedings. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about juvenile delinquency; abuse, neglect, and dependency; or termination of parental rights proceedings.

John, Phil, and I plan and teach at SOG training programs, including the New Parent Defender Training and New Juvenile Defender Training.  We additionally provide updates on the law and other legal resources for you. Monica manages the operations of our indigent defense education group. Our contact information is below:

• John Rubin: 919.962.2498 / rubin@sog.unc.edu
• Austine Long: 919.962.9594/ along@sog.unc.edu
• Phil Dixon, Jr.: 919.966.4248 / dixon@sog.unc.edu 
• Monica Yelverton: 919.966.4227 / myelverton@sog.unc.edu 

IN-PERSON TRAINING PROGRAMS

IDS and SOG jointly offer various in-person training programs throughout the year. A calendar of training events is located on the SOG website (www.sog.unc.edu/programs/indigentdefense). Some programs are designed for attorneys at particular experience levels, others are aimed at developing particular skills, and still others are aimed at addressing timely issues relevant to a practice area. These programs not only provide training opportunities but also a chance to develop a network with your peers in parent representation.

ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMS

Information about our online training programs is available at http://www.sog.unc.edu/resources/microsites/indigent-defense-education/online-training-cles. Our online training program consists of webinars on-demand (recordings of live webinars), virtual CLEs (recordings of live training sessions), and specially prepared tutorials for online use. You may purchase and watch these online programs for CLE credit or view them at no cost if CLE credit is not required; you may earn up to six hours of CLE credit per year by watching recorded presentations.

LEGAL RESOURCES AND ORIENTATION MANUALS

You will find helpful legal resources on the IDS webpage (www.ncids.org), the SOG’s criminal law webpage ( www.sog.unc.edu/resources/microsites/criminal-law-north-carolina), the SOG’s social services webpage (http://www.sog.unc.edu/resources/microsites/social-services), and the SOG’s indigent defense education webpage (www.sog.unc.edu/resources/microsites/indigent-defense-education). On the IDS website, you will find links for materials from previous programs, manuals, and other resources. On the SOG website, you will find links to bulletins, papers, and other materials prepared by SOG faculty members.

We are also available to consult with you. If you would like assistance with a juvenile case, feel free to contact me (juvenile delinquency) or Assistant Professor Sara DePasquale at Sara@sog.unc.edu (abuse, neglect, dependency and termination of parental rights proceedings).

LISTSERVS AND EMAILS

The Parent Attorney listserv serves as an excellent forum in which to communicate with other parent defenders. You can pose questions about legal issues and share effective techniques. We also use the listserv to notify you about upcoming training events and important legal developments. To sign up for the listserv, send an email to Wendy.C.Sotolongo@nccourts.org.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Parent defenders can now stay on top of Indigent Defense Education news and events through Facebook. “Like” amd follow us on Facebook at NC Indigent Defense Education. This is a great resource to hear about upcoming trainings and conferences, new online educational opportunities, and manual releases. (To “Like” us on Facebook: Log in to your Facebook account, use the Facebook search box to find NC Indigent Defense Education, and click the “Like” button.)

Again, congratulations on entering this rewarding practice area. We look forward to working with you. If you are in need of any help, resources, or advice, please do not hesitate to contact us here at the SOG.

Austine Long