Public Defender Mentor Project

The mission of the Project is to provide law students interested in public defense with a source of information and support, an established link to relevant faculty, and a means of identifying other students with similar interests and aspirations.

The Project sponsors programs throughout the academic year that are designed to educate UNC Law students about public defender work as well as to connect them with North Carolina's public defenders and with UNC Law alumni working in PD offices nationwide.

We welcome students who have an interest in public defense as a career and are in need of advice/mentoring/info re what courses to take, what summer jobs to pursue, how to draft a resume for a PD position, how to interview for PD jobs, and how to establish connections with public defenders in North Carolina and beyond.

The group is organized by Professor Tamar Birckhead in coordination with the Career Services Office and with the participation of other UNC Law faculty. Participating faculty have an open door policy for students in the Project; they are available to meet, counsel, and assist them in pursuing PD positions - both for the summer and after graduation.

ALSO: If you are a public defender or a criminal defense attorney working on an indigent case who would benefit from investigative or research assistance from UNC law students, please contact Professor Birckhead to help arrange for a student to assist you.

UNC Public Defender Mentor Project Faculty

• Tamar Birckhead, Assistant Professor of Law
• Barbara Fedders, Clinical Assistant Professor of Law
• Joseph Kennedy, Associate Professor of Law
• Robert Mosteller, Professor of Law
• Richard Rosen, Professor of Law

More Information

• Project Events
• Project Materials
• Helpful Links
• Project News (for UNC Law Students only)