Empowering our Clients

This is a comprehensive list of resources for individuals seeking legal information in North Carolina. The resources include court date schedules, information on traffic violations and insurance points, North Carolina laws and statutes, legal forms, and information on the North Carolina court system. Additionally, there is information on the Pender and New Hanover County District Attorney’s office and Clerk of the Court, the North Carolina Department of Justice, and the United States Courts.

For drivers, there is information on the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, obtaining a driving record, vehicle registration, and licensing. There are also resources for individuals seeking information on DWI law and related topics.

North Carolina Legal Forms

Pender County Links

New Hanover County Links

North Carolina Law & Court Resources

North Carolina General Statutes – Database of North Carolina statutes provided by the General Assembly website. It is a full, searchable index of North Carolina laws passed by the legislature

North Carolina General Assembly – Official website of the NC legislature. The legislative branch in North Carolina is known as the General Assembly and is made of up the Senate and House of Representatives. The General Assembly provides the laws that govern North Carolina.

North Carolina Rules of Evidence – Rules of evidence permit how and what evidence can be presented in case. The rules are very specific about what evidence is and isn’t allowed during a trial in order to preserve the fairest trial possible.

North Carolina Court System – The North Carolina Court System’s website consists of ample information on NC Courts from keeping court calendars to FAQs about going to court. You will sometimes hear this website referred to as AOC for Administrative Office of the Courts.

Going to Court – Information from the NC Court System website about what you should expect if you are going to any North Carolina criminal or civil court.

FAQ About Criminal Laws – Frequently asked questions about going to court for criminal cases from the North Carolina Court System website.

FAQ About Civil Cases – Frequently asked questions about going to court for civil cases from the North Carolina Court System website.

FAQ About Traffic Violations -Frequently asked questions about going to court for traffic violations from the North Carolina Court System website.

NC Department of Justice – The North Carolina Department of Justice provides legal representation to state agencies, assists local law enforcement, provides training and standards for law enforcement, and protects NC consumers. The website has extensive information about the DOJ and the Attorney’s General work that you can browse.

NC Secretary of State – The Secretary of State has many responsibilities including analysis of legal documents submitted by corporations, overseeing lobbying, regulating notary policy, supervising securities, and managing Uniform Commercial Code regulation.

Resources for North Carolina Drivers

North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles – The NC DMV website provides significant information on state laws, policies, and need-to-know facts that you need to have while on North Carolina roads.

Obtain a Driving Record – If you are in need of a driving record, visit the link provided, which takes you to a NC DMV page with directions on how to order a driving record.

Form to Obtain Driving Record – Form needed to release a driving record.

Form to Request an Official Record – Form needed in the event you need to request a third party’s official record.

Vehicle Registration – NC DMV page providing information on how to title and register your vehicle as well as how to obtain a license plate.

Driver’s License – Information from the DMV on your NC driver’s license as well as how to get and renew a license.

Driver’s Handbook – The handbook published by the DMV for North Carolina drivers.

Motorcyclist’s Handbook – The handbook published by the DMV for North Carolina citizens with a motorcycle license.

Commercial Driver’s Manual – Manual published by the DMV for North Carolina commercial driver’s license holders.

Medical Evaluation Program – Information from the NC DMV on evaluating medical information on licensed drivers and applicants.

Brochure – General information on the medical evaluation program

Medical Request for Driver Re-examination – Form needed if calling a NC driver’s ability to safely drive into question. A re-examination is only performed in event there is an interest in public safety.

Medical Report Form – Form that is completed in the event that the DMV decides that a NC driver’s medical information needs to be reviewed to determine if a driver can still safely operate a vehicle.

Vision Report – Form needed to evaluate a NC driver’s visual fitness in operating a motor vehicle.

Tinted Window Permit – Application for a tinted window based on a driver’s medical condition that he or she suffers photosensitivity to visible light

Crash Report Form Instruction Manual – Extensive manual from NC’s Department of Transportation on reporting accidents.

National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration – NHTSA was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 and works to increase road safety for all motorists.

Resources for DWI Law and Information

DUI Law – FindLaw’s information on DUI/DWI law.

Smart Start – Certain DWI convictions will require you to obtain an interlock device on your vehicle that will prevent it from starting unless you clear a breathalyzer. Smart Start is one of the companies providing interlock devices in North Carolina.

DUI/DWI Information Impaired Driving Databases – Database providing extensive information about DUI/DWIs internationally.

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus: The Science and the Law – Overview from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration about identifying horizontal gaze nystamus (HGN) as a sign of intoxication

Punishment and Recidivism in Drunk Driving – A study on the effects of the severity of punishment on repeat drunk driving offenses.

Substance Abuse Treatment Providers

Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services – A division of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, it provides comprehensive information for those looking for help for themselves or for loved ones.

Community Treatment and Resource Provider Directory – The directory contains information about organizations in North Carolina that provide assistance and support to individuals and families.

Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator – A national health treatment locator from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Substance Abuse – The World Health Organization’s information about substance abuse.

Criminal Law Resources

Criminal Law Basics – FindLaw’s collection of information providing a basic overview of some criminal law principles.

Relief From a Criminal Conviction – A guide from the School of Government on the various ways you can obtain relief from a criminal conviction.

Criminal Law Blog – From the School of Government, this blog discusses a variety of current issues in criminal law.

Felony Sentencing Chart – A chart that provides a quick overview of felony classes and punishments.

C-Cat – The Collateral Consequences Assessment Tool was created by the School of Government to provide a way of identifying all the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction, which can range from voting, availability for certain jobs, limiting public benefits, and more.

Crime Lab Procedures – North Carolina follows international standards for official crime laboratory accreditation.

Crime Laboratory Documentation – Documents and audits from accredited crime labs in North Carolina.

Forensic Resources – Website put together by the Indigent Defense Services, which provides public defenders and private defense counsel resources with which to challenge forensic evidence used by the prosecution.

Office of Indigent Defense Services – The Indigent Defense Services Act of 2000 established the Office of Indigent Defense Services in order to better serve North Carolina’s indigent citizens who are in need of legal services.

Brief Bank – The Office of Indigent Defense Services maintains an easily accessible public record of case briefs filed by their office.

Offender Public Information – North Carolina’s Department of Public Safety provides a search function for current and previous offenders.

Opening Statements in a Criminal Case – Information on delivery, technique, and content of an opening statement in a criminal case.

Closing Arguments in a Criminal Case – Information on delivery, technique, and content of a closing argument in a criminal case.

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers – The NACDL promotes a rational and humane criminal justice system at all state and federal levels. The website has extensive information and resources on criminal cases, news, and lawyers.

Cumberland County Sheriff’s Incident Report – Searchable database of incidents within Cumberland County, NC.

Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision – The commission oversees a compact between states in guiding the transfer of offenders in a manner that promotes effective supervision strategies consistent with public safety, offender accountability, and victim’s rights.

Criminal Exonerations – An article that shows just how serious false convictions are in the United States.

Division of Adult Correction – From the NC Department of Public Safety, the DAC’s job is promote public safety through a fair and humane correction system.

NC Prisoner Legal Services – Nonprofit law firm that protects prisoners’ constitutional rights by challenging illegal convictions and sentences and by ensuring safe and humane conditions of confinement.

The Innocence Project – A national litigation and public policy organization that works on freeing wrongly convicted individuals through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to stop further injustice.

Technology and Law Resource Links

National Clearinghouse for Law, Science, and Technology – NCLST functions as a database of information that assembles the available scientific, technological, and relevant legal resources into a comprehensive “one-stop” searchable database with equal access for all.

MIT Technology Review – The Technology Review identifies and investigates new technologies and how they impact society. The Review filters through the flood of technologies to determine what is important.

Lie Detector Roulette – Article on the uncertainty of the results from polygraph tests. Why the results from taking a lie detector test should not be the end all, be all of evidence.

Computer Forensics, Cybercrime, and Steganography Resources – Database of information on forensics from leading researchers that can help you understand and battle forensic investigation.

On the role of file system metadata in digital forensics – Most studies on digital forensics focus on how to obtain forensic evidence, but this article focus on obtaining quality and quantity of digital forensics.

Small Firm Innovation – This website focuses on insight and advice to small firms and solo practitioners on running a law practice through first-person accounts.

Shear on Social Media Law – A blog dedicated to informing about legal and policy issues on those who use social media law.

Engadget – A website devoted to news, reviews, and opinions on consumer electronics and the science and technology that they’re built upon.