2026 Appellate Advocacy course, co-sponsored by the UNC School of Government and the Office of Indigent Defense Services, is now open for registration.
COURSE OVERVIEW, DATES, AND LOCATION: The Appellate Advocacy course will be held at the School of Government on Wednesday, October 21 – Friday, October 23. The course is open to assistant appellate defenders and attorneys on the appellate appointment list maintained by the Office of the Appellate Defender. Using their own cases, participants will learn to develop a cohesive theory of defense on appeal and use that theory in writing a persuasive statement of facts and legal argument. Participants will be allowed to include up to four hours on their case fee application for time spent during the course working directly on their case.
Eligibility questions should be directed to Glenn Gerding at (919) 354-7210 or [email protected].
You can access the agenda on the course page here.
Guide for Participants
REQUIREMENTS: To prepare for the program, please read the attached Guide for Participants
At the end of the guide, there is a form to fill out summarizing the non-capital case you will work on at the program. Every registrant MUST complete and return the form via email to Bob Burke at [email protected]and Danny Spiegel at [email protected] no later than noon on Friday, October 2. If you have questions about the case you should bring, contact Appellate Defender, Glenn Gerding.
You will be doing writing during the breakout sessions, so please plan to bring a laptop or other electronic writing device.
FEE: The registration fee for military attorneys, private assigned and managed assigned counsel is $500. There is no fee for IDS state employees.
SCHOLARSHIPS: 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, September 18. Please refer to the scholarship website for additional information.
REGISTRATION: Register here for the Appellate Advocacy course. The registration deadline is 5:00 pm on Friday, September 25. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Applicants will receive notification if they are accepted into the course.
Please apply on the course webpage under the ‘Register’ tab and follow the instructions as you register, particularly if this is your first time using our online registration system. (Note that our system requires one unique email address per profile created, so each person from your office who plans to attend must register separately using an individual email address. As we correspond with participants primarily through email, please ensure your email address is current.)
CLE CREDIT: This course will offer approximately 17.75 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credit (pending State Bar approval).
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 Tuesday, September 29. To reserve a room, please refer to the hotel’s website here (Group Code: G-SGAA) or call the hotel at (919) 929-9511 (option 0) and ask for room block “Appellate Advocacy”.
TRAVEL INFORMATION: Contact Shannon Simmons, IDS Accounts Payable Supervisor, at s[email protected] or (919) 890-1660. IDS shall directly reimburse the travel expenses of all IDS employees who attend education courses as participants or invited speakers in accordance with State and IDS rules and regulations governing such reimbursements. Please note that travel reimbursement forms must be submitted to IDS Financial Services by the end of the month following the travel, or reimbursement will be denied.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: If you have any questions or need further information, contact Program Manager Kayla Fowler at [email protected].