UNC School of Law

UNC School of Law Festival of Legal Learning 2026
2026-02-13 08:00 - 18:30 (America/New_York) | UNC School of Government
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:

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

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

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

The Changing First Amendment

Mark Storslee, Associate Professor and C. Boyden Gray Distinguished Scholar

AI Panel

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

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

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.

Commencement
2026-05-08 12:30

State of the School Address
2026-05-15 12:00 - 13:00
Save the Date
