Hats Off to Newly Certified Magistrates (February 1, 2022)
Shea Denning
Begin reading this post by standing up. Remain standing if you have worked in a position that has required you to interact directly and regularly with members of the public […]
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February 1, 2022
Begin reading this post by standing up. Remain standing if you have worked in a position that has required you to interact directly and regularly with members of the public […]
READ POST "Hats Off to Newly Certified Magistrates (February 1, 2022)"January 10, 2022
It is a new year, and there are new rules for determining the term of office for a district court judge appointed to fill a vacancy. First, some background. Judicial vacancies […]
READ POST "The State Budget Act Amends the Term of Office for Appointed District Court Judges (January 10, 2022)"December 22, 2021
This is the last blog post of 2021 and a goodbye to another year of transitions. COVID is still with us, requiring us to be flexible and ever changing as […]
READ POST "Goodbye to Another Year of Changes (December 22, 2021)"December 1, 2021
This post was written by UNC School of Government faculty member Tom Thornburg. Following years of discussion and drafts, a formal Rules of Conduct for Magistrates was promulgated by […]
READ POST "Rules of Conduct Created for North Carolina Magistrates (December 1, 2021)"October 13, 2021
An attorney who represents a department of social services (DSS) in North Carolina faces a variety of unique ethical challenges when it comes to client representation. Who is the attorney’s client? How should the attorney report malfeasance within the agency? A number of factors make these determinations particularly challenging in North Carolina.
READ POST "New SOG Bulletin: “Ethical Dilemmas in Client Representation for DSS Attorneys in North Carolina” (October 13, 2021)"April 22, 2021

The UNC School of Government’s Public Defense Education group is excited to announce a new series of practice guides, The First Seven Days, by Timothy Heinle, Civil Defender Educator. The guides offer practical tips and strategies for respondent’s attorneys in various civil proceedings to use during the first several days of representation. The ideas suggested in the guides are designed to help busy attorneys hit the ground running in ways that reduce stress for the attorney and improve representation for the client.
The first entry in the series is The First Seven Days as a Guardian ad Litem in an Incompetency Proceeding. It includes ideas on creating files, client outreach, investigation tools, report writing, and more. Guardian ad litem attorneys in Chapter 35A proceedings can obtain the guide in three ways.
READ POST "The Initial Guide in a New Series: The First Seven Days (April 22, 2021)"April 12, 2021
Chief Justice Paul Newby issued an order on Friday, effective today, extending emergency directives currently in place for an additional thirty days to in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. […]
READ POST "Emergency Directives Again Renewed; Legislation to Permanently Authorize Remote Hearings Passes Senate (April 12, 2021)"March 30, 2021
Today is the annual GiveUNC day. This year is also the School’s 90th Anniversary! Although the faces have changed over time and the name of our School (from Institute of […]
READ POST "Today is GiveUNC Day – A Message from the School’s Dean (March 30, 2021)"March 15, 2021
Chief Justice Paul Newby issued an order on Friday, effective today, extending emergency directives currently in place for an additional thirty days to in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Tomorrow marks […]
READ POST "Emergency Directives Renewed and Legislation Proposed to Permanently Authorize Remote Proceedings (March 15, 2021)"January 20, 2021
The UNC School of Government seeks to hire a tenure-track faculty member who will specialize in the procedural law that governs civil court actions and the practical aspects of conducting civil trials […]
READ POST "School of Government seeks new faculty member to specialize in civil trials and contested hearings (January 20, 2021)"