Recent blog posts

The Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act: requirements when a servicemember requests a stay (or a continuance) (May 19, 2026)

In this post from 2015, https://civil.sog.unc.edu/servicemembers-civil-relief-act-applies-to-family-cases-too/, I wrote about the first appellate opinion in North Carolina to address the requirements of the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act, now codified at 50 […]

READ POST "The Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act: requirements when a servicemember requests a stay (or a continuance) (May 19, 2026)"

Appointment of Counsel in First-Degree Murder Cases When the Accused is Age 13 – 17 (April 28, 2026)

In late March The Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS) instituted a new process for the appointment and payment of counsel for cases in which a juvenile between the ages of 13 and 17 is charged with first-degree murder or murder where the degree is undesignated. The process, called the Juvenile First-Degree Murder Roster (JFDM Roster) is operated by the Office of the Juvenile Defender (OJD). For the 27 counties currently participating in the program, there is a new process for appointment of counsel in these cases.

READ POST "Appointment of Counsel in First-Degree Murder Cases When the Accused is Age 13 – 17 (April 28, 2026)"

Communication Between a Guardian ad Litem in Incompetency and Guardianship Proceedings and Respondent’s Next of Kin (April 23, 2026)

Meet Mike. Following a recent stroke, Mike is allegedly no longer able to make and communicate important decisions about himself, his family, or his property. Mike’s wife has filed a […]

READ POST "Communication Between a Guardian ad Litem in Incompetency and Guardianship Proceedings and Respondent’s Next of Kin (April 23, 2026)"