Lost in the Legal Wilderness? This CLE Is Your Survival Guide

Matt, a man with light brown hair, wears a light blue shirt, orange tie and blue suit. By Matt Pentz

Budget impasses. Shifting case law. AI tools everyone’s talking about, but no one’s explained. If you’re a government attorney in North Carolina, you know the terrain is getting rougher — and the map keeps changing.

On Friday, May 1, the NCBA Government & Public Sector Section is hosting The Government Lawyer’s Survival Program at the Bar Center in Cary (also available via live webcast). This full‑day course delivers six hours of MCLE credit, including one hour of ethics and one hour of technology training, all built around the real‑world challenges government lawyers are facing right now.

And here’s a survival tip you won’t find in any field manual: at roughly $25 per CLE hour, this might just be the most affordable CLE in North Carolina — a deal so good it deserves its own compass rose.

Here’s what’s on the trail:

• No budget? No problem (sort of).
Sarah Grimsrud from the Office of State Budget & Management breaks down the “continuing operations” statute and how agencies stay functional when the General Assembly leaves town without a budget.

• Case law that matters to you.
Professor Rick Su of UNC School of Law leads a two‑part deep dive into recent state and federal decisions shaping the work of government attorneys.

• Crossing between sectors without losing your license.
A panel of attorneys who’ve moved between public and private practice shares ethical pitfalls and practical lessons for navigating either direction.

• Automated government systems.
Professor Leigh Osofsky draws on Automated Agencies to explore what happens when the automated systems citizens depend on steer them off‑course — and what lawyers need to know about it.

• AI and the RPCs: What you actually need to know.
A practical, government‑focused session on what AI can and can’t do, why it hallucinates and how to apply the Rules of Professional Conduct when you’re using these tools.

Whether you’re a seasoned government lawyer or new to public service, this program meets you where you are. Pack your bag — or your laptop — and join us.

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