UNC School of Law

Dean Brinkley's State of the School Address
2025-05-16 12:00 - 12:50 (America/New_York) | Virtual

Raleigh Summer Reception
2025-06-03 17:30 - 19:00 | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
For more information, please visit:
Carolina Law Summer Reception Tour 2025 | UNC School of Law

Washington, D.C. Summer Reception
2025-06-05 17:30 - 19:00 | Squire Patton Boggs

Greensboro Summer Reception
2025-06-10 17:30 - 19:00 | Brooks Pierce

Charlotte Summer Reception
2025-06-11 17:30 - 19:00 | Katten

New York City Summer Reception
2025-06-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Saul Ewing LLP

Atlanta Summer Reception
2025-06-24 17:30 - 19:00 | Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP

Virtual Briefing on Recent SCOTUS Decisions
2025-09-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Virtual Briefing on Recent SCOTUS Decisions
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
12-1 p.m.
Register by September 9
Join UNC School of Law faculty members Andy Hessick and Osamudia James for a virtual and interactive legal discussion on two timely U.S. Supreme Court decisions: Trump vs. CASA and Ames v. Ohio.
This session will offer practitioner-focused analysis of these two impactful rulings from the most recent SCOTUS term.
Kindly register by 5 pm on September 11 to receive the Zoom link. We hope you will join us for this timely and substantive conversation.
Interim Dean Andy Hessick, Judge John J. Parker Distinguished Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Strategy & Planning, teaches and researches on topics including federal courts, administrative law, remedies, and criminal sentencing.
Osamudia James, Henry P. Brandis Distinguished Professor of Law, teaches and writes on topics including education law, race and the law, administrative law, and torts.
Questions? Contact Brian Stern

2025 UNC Law Alumni Association Awards Ceremony
2025-10-03 17:30 - 21:00 | Carolina Club
The 2025 UNC Law Alumni Association awards ceremony will take place on October 3, 2025, from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Carolina Club. Registration is required by September 25.
Read more about the 2025 award winners:
– Henry E. Frye ’59
– Charles P. Brown ’66
– David B. Sentelle ’68
– Richard E. Myers ’98
– Alison A. Grounds ’01
– Carl R. Fox ’78
– Isabelle R. Stevens ’21
– Professor Thomas Lee Hazen

Carolina Law Connections: New York City Reception
2025-10-16 17:30 - 19:00 | ArentFox Schiff LLP, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, Floor 42, New York, NY, 10019, United States
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 5:30-7 p.m.
ArentFox Schiff LLP
1301 Avenue of the Americas, Floor 42
New York, NY 10019
Reconnect with fellow alumni and meet Interim Dean Andy Hessick and Professor Lissa Broome, who will be attending with 1L students visiting the city as part of the Center for Banking & Finance Career Trek during fall break.
Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation while hearing updates from Carolina Law and supporting our students as they explore legal careers.
Business attire is encouraged.
Register by October 9
Questions? Contact Brian Stern.

AI vs. Human Mock Criminal Trial
2025-10-24 10:00 - 11:30 | UNC School of Law Graham Kenan Courtroom, 160 RIDGE RD CB 3380 CB 3380, CHAPEL HILL, NC, 27514-4387, United States
A Jury of your AI Peers? The Trial of Henry Justus
The year is 2036, and Henry Justus, an African American high school senior, stands trial on a charge of robbery of Victor Fehler, a white high school sophomore, before a jury of widely used artificial intelligence programs under the imaginary AI Criminal Justice Act of 2035. This trial simulation imagines that generative artificial intelligence models will be used in the future as jurors to reduce the operation of human bias and other cognitive errors by judges. This exercise will use present day technology to simulate such a trial with human actors playing the roles of prosecutor, defense lawyer, victim and defendant before a jury of three generative AI programs. This trial will be simulated but not scripted, so all participants will learn the verdicts of the three large language models serving as jurors along with the audience. This simulation will be followed by brief commentary from a panel of experts composed of legal scholars, a philosopher and a data librarian.
This simulated trial—one of the first of its kind–is being conducted by the University of North Carolina School of Law as part of Converge-Con), a large AI Festival taking place at UNC-Chapel Hill from October 22nd through 24th.
The trial of Henry Justus is intended to provoke discussion about the proper scope of artificial intelligence in criminal justice by highlighting the issues of accuracy, efficiency, bias and legitimacy raised by such use. Whether the trial serves as a cautionary tale about a possible dystopian future or a roadmap to a better one will remain to be seen.
The event is available on live stream.

Cornerstone Weekend in the High Country
2025-11-07 - 2025-11-09 | Chetola Resort, Blowing Rock, North Carolina
By invitation only
November 7-9, 2025
Chetola Resort
Blowing Rock, N.C.
Invitations to come this summer.

UNC LAA Virtual Book Club
2026-01-09 12:00 - 13:00 | NC
Join UNC School of Law alum Jennifer Puryear ’95 and Professor Leigh Osofsky for a virtual mid-winter book club on Miracle Creek by Angie Kim with fellow alumni.
Jennifer, author of the blog Bacon on the Bookshelf, will lead a spirited conversation about Kim’s literary courtroom thriller.
We encourage you to make Miracle Creek your holiday read, and we look forward to a great discussion on January 9.
Kindly register by January 5 to receive the Zoom link. We hope you will join us and wish you a wonderful holiday season.

By Invitation Only: With Thanks: Sharing Perspectives, Shaping Futures
2026-02-12 18:00 | The Carolina Inn, 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, United States
February 12, 2026
6 p.m.
The Carolina Inn | Chapel Hill, N.C.
By invitation only
With Thanks: Sharing Perspectives, Shaping Futures
In recognition of your generous support of UNC School of Law, please join us for this special dinner to celebrate your impact and engage in meaningful dialogue about shaping the future of Carolina Law.
You are also invited to join us for the Festival of Legal Learning the following morning.
Please register by February 6.
A hotel block is reserved for your convenience at the Rizzo Center.

Book online by January 29
Contact: Laura Rabb at laura.rabb@destinationhotels.com

UNC School of Law Festival of Legal Learning 2026
2026-02-13 08:00 - 18:30 | UNC School of Government
This event is sold out. To join the waitlist, please email mann@unc.edu.

Presented by the UNC Law Alumni Association
February 13, 2026 8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
UNC School of Government Chapel Hill, N.C.
Register by February 5, 2026 Join UNC School of Law alumni and students for a day of legal education and receive five hours of CLE credit and one hour of ethics, with sessions instructed by members of our community. CLE sessions include:

CLE sessions include:

Updates from Carolina Law’s Supreme Court Program
Elizabeth Fisher ’19, Wiley Rein F. Andrew Hessick, Interim Dean and Judge John J. Parker Distinguished Professor of Law Rick Simpson ’77, Wiley Rein Materials: Handout, Slides

The Front-Line Legal Response to Natural Disasters: Two Mayors’ Perspectives Post-Helene
Rebecca Badgett, Teaching Assistant Professor of Public Law and Government, UNC School of Government Hon. Esther Manheimer ’98, Mayor, Asheville, N.C. Hon. Zeb Smathers ’08, Mayor, Canton, N.C.

Merchant Cash Advances (MCA): Fast Cash, Flexible Terms, and the Law Behind Them
Kara Bruce, Graham Kenan Distinguished Professor of Law Materials: Slides, The Murky Process of Characterizing Merchant Cash Advance Agreements, Revenue-Based Finance in Bankruptcy and Beyond

Jefferson, Adams and Tacitus: Perspectives on the Framers and the Classics
Martin H. Brinkley ’92, Dean Emeritus and William Rand Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law Materials: Handout, Tacitus’ Annals, Slides

The Changing First Amendment
Mark Storslee, Associate Professor and C. Boyden Gray Distinguished Scholar Materials: Slides

AI Panel

Patricia Brown ’86, Executive Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, SAS Wab Kadaba ’97, Chair, Kilpatrick John Sieman ’07, Patent Counsel, SASMaterials: Slide

Important program information:

Registration Fee: $100.
Five hours of general CLE and one hour of ethics are approved by the North Carolina State Bar.
Carolina Law will file CLE credits in North Carolina and will provide attendance certification for out of state attendees.

Festival Schedule

8-9 a.m.
Check in & Continental Breakfast

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
CLE Sessions (lunch provided)

5-6:30 p.m.
Alumni and Student Reception

Register by February 5, 2026

Faculty Lunch and Learn with Professor Rick Su
2026-02-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
February 27, 2026, 12-1 p.m. | Virtual
Hosted by the UNC Law Alumni Association, Carolina Law Professor Rick Su presents legal analysis on current immigration topics in the United States during a lunch-time virtual event.
Register by February 24 to receive the Zoom link.

ABCs of Banking Law
2026-03-25 08:00 | Chapman and Cutler LLP, Charlotte, NC
Save the Date
UNC School of Law Center for Banking and Finance sponsors the continuing legal education program focused on the basics of banking law for lawyers.

The Banking Institute
2026-03-26 - 2026-03-27 | Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, 201 E Trade St, Charlotte, NC, 28202, United States
Save the Date
UNC School of Law Center for Banking and Finance sponsors the Banking Institute, a continuing legal education program that focuses on important issues for bankers and their lawyers. The Institute is designed to provide the highest quality CLE on cutting-edge issues related to banking law.

Wade H. Hargrove Media Law and Policy Colloquium
2026-04-06 19:00 - 20:45 | NC
The colloquium brings together leaders from law, media, and technology for a dynamic conversation at the intersection of policy and practice. This year’s event features Meta Vice President of Global Public Policy Kevin Martin.

LAA Book Club with Jennifer Puryear '95 and Professor Bill Marshall
2026-04-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Professor Bill Marshall discusses “The First Gentleman” by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, sharing his insights from serving as deputy counsel to the president and deputy assistant to the president during the Clinton Administration.
Email Brian Stern at brian.stern@unc.edu to join the LAA book club email list for updates.
Register by April 17

State of the School Address
2026-05-15 12:00 - 13:00 | NC
Carolina Law State of the School Address
Join UNC School of Law leaders for an update on the happenings in the halls of Carolina Law, including our second-consecutive No. 18 best law schools ranking. The virtual event outlines our successes, our future, and the path forward.

Faculty Lunch and Learn with Professor John Coyle
2026-06-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Hosted by the UNC Law Alumni Association, Carolina Law Professor John Coyle, explores how U.S. courts navigate the tangled and often contradictory choice‑of‑law rules in terrorism cases.

Carolina Law Alumni Reception at the NCBA Annual Meeting
2026-06-25 17:30 - 19:00 | The Westin Charlotte, 601 S College St, Charlotte, NC, 28202
Join Carolina Law for an alumni reception during the North Carolina Bar Association Annual Meeting.

LAA Book Club with Jennifer Puryear ’95, Professor Leigh Osofsky, and Professor Kathleen Thomas
2026-08-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join Jennifer Puryear ’95, Professor Kathleen Thomas, and Leigh Osofsky for a compelling virtual book club conversation exploring The Tragedy of True Crime: Four Guilty Men and The Stories That Define Us by John J. Lennon. Together, they’ll delve into the book’s powerful examination of justice, narrative, and the human stories that shape our understanding of crime and punishment.

SAVE THE DATE: Law Alumni Weekend 2026
2026-10-09 - 2026-10-10 | NC
Mark your calendar for Law Alumni Weekend, October 9-10, 2026, a signature celebration of all things Carolina Law.
The weekend kicks off with the Law Alumni Association Awards Dinner, where we honor the very best of Carolina Law. From there, enjoy a full slate of programs designed to connect you with our faculty, students, and fellow alumni.
Details are coming soon, and this is a weekend you won’t want to miss.
If you’re celebrating your 10th, 20th, 30th, or 40th reunion and want to help rally your class, please contact Brian Stern at brian.stern@unc.edu.
Questions?
Brian Stern
Director of Development for Alumni and Community Engagement
(919) 843-5644 | brian.stern@unc.edu

Cornerstone Weekend Among the Palmettos
2026-11-05 - 2026-11-08 | Charleston, SC
Save the Date for the UNC School of Law
Cornerstone Weekend Among the Palmettos
November 5-8, 2026 Charleston, South Carolina
Join the Cornerstone Club for a weekend of celebrating the successes of Carolina Law:
faculty, students, programs, and exceptional supporters.
By invitation only.
Invitation to follow in summer 2026.
