Professional Development

The Conference provides dozens of informative training programs every year, ranging from fundamental trial skills development to specialized programs focusing on a particular criminal law area. Some of these training programs are designed exclusively for prosecutors, but many are open to law enforcement, legal assistants, court staff, and other allied professionals. The Conference gratefully acknowledges the grant funding that makes many of these trainings possible.

The calendar below lists all of the year’s upcoming programs, so prosecutors and others can plan their attendance in advance. If a program is currently open for registration, clicking on the title or register button will bring up a registration page.

Please direct any questions about content, eligibility, or registration for a specific training to the contact listed for that course, or you can email the Conference for additional information.

Upcoming Trainings

Juvenile Court: Back to the Basics

  • July 31, 2025 – August 1, 2025

This course is designed for individuals who want to learn the basics of juvenile court or those who are already experienced in juvenile court prosecution and need a refresher. On the first day, classroom instruction will cover topics such as juvenile investigation, juvenile procedure, and an update on statutory and case law. The second day will consist of a tour of the Cabarrus Youth Development Center, which aims to educate participants on what happens from the start to the end of a YDC Commitment and dispel common myths and misunderstandings.

Register

What You Do Matters August 2025

  • August 6, 2025

This program examines the policing within the legal and political framework of Nazi Germany – a journey that eventually turned those who should protect life and liberty into those who intimidated, humiliated, deported, and eventually murdered millions of innocent people. Using historical images and stories from the Holocaust, this course engages law enforcement and prosecutors in a dialogue about the role of law enforcement in today’s communities and the importance of core values in ensuring the integrity and vibrancy of democracy.

Register

A Workshop for Chief and Senior District Attorneys

  • August 7, 2025 – August 8, 2025

This two-day workshop is designed to provide a forum for Chief and Senior Assistant District Attorneys to share ideas and best practices. Assistant District Attorneys must be recommended and approved by their District Attorney. You will not be able to register directly for this course.

Register

The Complete District Court Trial

  • August 14, 2025 – August 15, 2025

If you can try a DWI, you can try anything. We will spend two days picking apart DWI trials in District Court from start to finish, examining all the opportunities and land mines. Attendees will develop a better understanding of issues unique to impaired driving cases and how to properly present them in court. Topics include criminal procedure, stops and arrests, chemical analysis, use of experts, crashes, and checking stations.

Register

Countering Myths: Victim Response to Sexual Abuse

  • August 14, 2025 – August 15, 2025

This new, two-day experimental learning course unpacks child abuse cases in which jurors struggle to understand the victim’s response to abuse or the science of trauma.  Jurors say “I believe the child” but struggle to convict when faced with complex and confusing responses to abuse.  Expert witnesses in the prosecution’s case-in-chief can have a profound impact on jurors’ ability to process and interpret evidence in a light most favorable to the child victim. This course will provide insight into the types of expert witnesses that can assist the prosecution and provide strategies for presenting this testimony. Attendees will craft and deliver direct examinations of experts and receive feedback from Zero Abuse faculty.

This is a small, interactive course which requires attendance and participation both days. Seating is limited to ensure quality and interaction. After initial registration, we will notify you if you have been accepted.  You will be required to confirm your registration TWO WEEKS prior to this course. If you cannot attend for any reason, please cancel your registration as soon as you know, so that your seat can be given to someone on the waitlist.

Register

Drug Prosecutions: From Investigation to Trial

  • August 20, 2025 – August 22, 2025

NEW for 2025 (and long overdue) this multi-day program will cover the key aspects of investigation and successfully prosecuting controlled substance offenses. Drug offenses account for nearly a third of all North Carolina convictions, and they represent an even larger share of many prosecutors’ workload. This program will examine the law and the challenges that frequently arise in areas such as working with informants, conducting searches, selecting charges, navigating discovery requirements, negotiating pleas and securing cooperation, understanding lab results, and explaining it all to a jury.

Register
Training Name Training Date CLE Type Location Description Registration Link
Juvenile Court: Back to the Basics July 31, 2025 – August 1, 2025 General Concord, NC Open to prosecutors and legal assistants
What You Do Matters August 2025 August 6, 2025 General Beaufort, NC Open to prosecutors, law enforcement, and administrative professionals
A Workshop for Chief and Senior District Attorneys August 7, 2025 – August 8, 2025 General Beaufort, NC Open to chief and senior Assistant District Attorneys
The Complete District Court Trial August 14, 2025 – August 15, 2025 General Asheville, NC Open to prosecutors
Countering Myths: Victim Response to Sexual Abuse August 14, 2025 – August 15, 2025 General Raleigh, NC Open to prosecutors from any jurisdiction
Drug Prosecutions: From Investigation to Trial August 20, 2025 – August 22, 2025 General Raleigh, NC Open to prosecutors
Fundamentals of Juvenile Justice August 2025 August 28, 2025 General Raleigh, NC Open to Law Enforcement Officers
Working with Special Victims September 4, 2025 General Raleigh, NC Open to prosecutors, administrative professionals, and District Attorney Investigators
Sexual Exploitation and Technology Facilitated Crimes Against Children September 5, 2025 General Raleigh, NC Open to prosecutors
M is for Murder September 10, 2025 – September 12, 2025 General Atlantic Beach, NC Open to prosecutors, legal assistants, and law enforcement
Impaired Driving: Practice Makes Perfect September 2025 September 11, 2025 – September 12, 2025 General Greensboro, NC Open to prosecutors and law enforcement
Call the Expert September 18, 2025 – September 19, 2025 General Winston-Salem, NC Open to prosecutors, law enforcement, administrative professionals, adult protective services, and other allied professionals
Sexual Assault: Presenting Your Case to a Jury September 24, 2025 – September 25, 2025 General Charlotte, NC Open to prosecutors and law enforcement
The Leadership Challenge September 30, 2025 – October 2, 2025 General Raleigh, NC All students must be recommended and approved by their District Attorney. You will not be able to register directly for this course.
2025 Fall Association Meeting October 15, 2025 – October 17, 2025 General Beaufort, NC Open to prosecutors
Administrative Assistants Meeting October 2025 October 29, 2025 General Blowing Rock, NC This meeting is invitation only
Fundamentals of Juvenile Justice October 2025 October 30, 2025 General Blowing Rock, NC Open to Law Enforcement Officers
Money Matters November 4, 2025 – November 6, 2025 General Asheville, NC Open to prosecutors, law enforcement, and administrative professionals.
New Prosecutor’s School November 17, 2025 – November 21, 2025 General Raleigh, NC Open to new prosecutors (Registration managed by the UNC School of Government)
The Smoking Gun December 4, 2025 – December 5, 2025 General Raleigh, NC Open to prosecutors
What You Do Matters December 2025 December 11, 2025 General Charlotte, NC Open to prosecutors, law enforcement, and administrative professionals

How Can We Help?

The North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys offers a wealth of valuable information and assistance to prosecutors and their law enforcement partners. If you are unable to locate the answers you require, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team members. We are dedicated to providing guidance and direction to ensure that the needs of prosecutors are met with the utmost professionalism and respect.