Leslie Rawls, Attorney at Law

02/28/2023

Would you like to support public defense in North Carolina?
The Office of Indigent Defense Services is hiring!
Click on the links below for more information:
IDS Recruitment and Training Coordinator
https://www.ncids.org/2023/help-grown-public-defense-in-nc/
IDS Legal Associate
https://www.ncids.org/2023/help-support-public-defense-in-north-carolina/

The Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS), is seeking a qualified candidate to provide administrative and clerical support to the Deputy Director and other legal staff.    More here.

02/16/2023

https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/courts4civics/connect/essay-contest

One hundred years ago, the Supreme Court’s decision in Meyer v. Nebraska declared that a state law prohibiting teachers from teaching grade school children any language other than English violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause. In 1968, the Supreme Court declared in Epperson v. A...

10/13/2022

https://www.cdpl.org/join-us-for-the-public-launch-of-the-racist-roots-film/

Let's make the death penalty history! - The Center for Death Penalty Litigation - cdpl.org
Join us for the public launch of the Racist Roots film at the Carolina Theatre. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Carolina Theatre in Durham, CDPL will host the public launch of Racist Roots, the film based on CDPL’s online project, RacistRoots.org.This powerful 25-minute film explores the NC death penalty’s deep entanglement with slavery, lynching and racism — and inspires ...
www.cdpl.org

04/14/2022

May 27th is the deadline for entries in the 2022 Fourth Circuit High School Essay Contest. Students have the opportunity to win one of three cash prizes: first place, $2,000; second place, $1,500; and third place, $1,000. Distribution is requested via web sites, social media, newsletters, or email that would help bring this opportunity to the attention of high school students. Thank you.
Link to website: https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/essay-contest
Link to contest flyer: https://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/docs/pdfs/essay-contest/2022-essay-contest-flyer.pdf



Fifty years ago, on March 22, 1972, Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the states for ratification,
but only 35 of the 38 required states voted to ratify by the deadline.

Is the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause sufficient to secure the rights of
all citizens, or is the ERA necessary to protect gender equality?
________________________________________
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is seeking submissions for its 2022 essay contest.
Students are invited to consider and share their thoughts on the question: "Is the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause sufficient to secure the rights of all citizens, or is the ERA necessary to promote gender equality?
The contest is open to all students currently in grades 9 through 12 from Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Essays are limited to 1,000 words and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 27, 2022.
Students have the opportunity to win one of three cash prizes: first place, $2,000; second place, $1,500; and third place, $1,000.
Winners will be announced in August, and the winning essays will be presented at the court's Essay Awards Program in September 2022.
For additional information and instructions on how to submit an essay, visit www.ca4.uscourts.gov/essay-contest.
For questions, contact the Fourth Circuit Clerk’s Office at [email protected] or (804) 916-2706.
Please note: Prior award winners as well as children, grandchildren, stepchildren, and members of the household of a federal judge or federal judiciary employee are excluded from the competition.

Fifty years ago, on March 22, 1972, Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the states for ratification, but only 35 of the 38 required states voted to ratify by the deadline.

03/04/2022

AT LAST!
March 4, 2022

Supreme Court Adopts Ability-to-Pay Rule
The Supreme Court of North Carolina has added a new rule to the General Rules of Practice for the Superior and District Courts. New Rule 28, “Equitable Imposition of Monetary Obligations in Criminal Cases and Infraction Cases Based on the Defendant’s Ability to Pay,” was adopted on 14 December 2021 and became effective on 1 January 2022.
Rule 28 establishes a motion procedure for a defendant to request an equitable imposition of monetary obligations in a criminal case or an infraction case based on the defendant’s ability to pay. The rule also introduces a form motion created by the Administrative Office of the Courts. All interested persons are encouraged to read the Supreme Court’s order in its entirety.
If you have questions about the Supreme Court’s rulemaking process, please contact the Supreme Court’s Office of Administrative Counsel by email at [email protected].

09/16/2021

The Ambassadors for Racial Justice Application is Now Open!

The Georgetown Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative and the National Juvenile Defender Center seek dedicated youth defenders and youth justice advocates to join the fight to end racial injustice in juvenile legal systems throughout the country!

Are you or do you know a youth defender or youth justice advocate ready to disrupt racism in the juvenile legal system?
Are you ready to enhance your racial justice advocacy skills in the courtroom, legislative advocacy, or community engagement?
If so, then apply to the ARJ program today!
ARJ is a nationally recognized program for youth defenders and youth justice advocates. With the training and support of the ARJ leadership team, our previous ambassadors have become racial justice leaders in their jurisdictions and have introduced legislation, successfully incorporated race into their litigation strategies, convened trainings to advance reform, designed college-bound pipeline programs for detained youth, and so much more!
To learn more about the program: https://u1584542.ct.sendgrid.net/ss/c/atcYNHk4Eh2YdGnwBh-YDCWtwlqc8Gz1yka4OcDFvr1_aVNJgBfYHfVm9L_ocOabHcLuqf2qVFw3fUE8ihRerw70eVOEji0If1Nbm8qwNwWcBLdJhMQ4KdxOBj566Au1vJgmMkyAQCLWmjWmQ5UlTWoaDXXauUvh3JvEQWekY_YaBzv2vhQwV59b6g5cCb6tBpcOF_RZJqcmRLi93VmtKAP-guAnmqxeEDSN7mSKTghy5V27mdorIjHVozIaBJ6dL1X7c5H86cndv61GxCx-iIkXuaPJT7vzDi9m21nIKHplF17W6mWEKSj_Mz9_2seH23HzUYz_gmv5s_6NT5cWHUcvr0m-7uD33mragIFEZsnYUiLuax4r0QH0fhEjVfH6NBxENssaYl_UCUBes8rcDtICkbK5rlW4LCK_0I3FkOwamGGEtrFZm7MYmOAxSEo20mBoM8VW0-He6fs0-v3q7g/3fd/umA1eGhBTGqFM8b1DOOdvQ/h5/e4a0_y_9btyYxAwN9-Ul6EhzvIwv1djVzP5HA1iVcPU

The deadline to apply is November 15, 2021.

The Ambassadors for Racial Justice (ARJ) is a program—sponsored by the Georgetown Juvenile Justice Initiative and the National Juvenile Defender Center—for defenders who are committed to challenging racial injustice in the juvenile legal system. The program aims to grow the number of juvenile de...

08/18/2021

Commas matter!

“No wonder feelings run high about the comma. When it comes to improving the clarity of a sentence, you can nearly always argue that one should go in; you can nearly always argue that one should come out.” – Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves I often find myself wishing that my students’ fee...

08/02/2021

https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/investigation-fraud-and-risk/email-phishing-campaigns/

Email phishing campaigns are plaguing investment advisers just as they implement their business continuity plans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

07/30/2021

July 30, 2021

The North Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense Services is pleased to announce that its members voted to re-appoint Glenn Gerding as Appellate Defender at its quarterly meeting on July 30, 2021.

The Office of the Appellate Defender represents people from across North Carolina in the appellate courts after a criminal conviction, juvenile adjudication, or involuntary commitment. The Appellate Defender’s Office manages a roster of sixty-five private counsel who accept appellate assignments. The office provides training and consultations to trial and appellate attorneys around the state in matters of criminal law and procedure.

Before his initial appointment as the Appellate Defender in 2015, Gerding was in private practice, primarily representing people at trial and on appeal in criminal cases. He has served as an assistant public defender in Orange County and on active duty in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps. Gerding still serves in the Navy Reserve, holding the rank of Captain.

Originally from Wingate, NC, Gerding earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1993, and his law degree from Campbell University in 1996. Gerding also holds an LL.M. in litigation and dispute resolution from George Washington University School of Law.

The Commission looks forward to continuing to work with Gerding to ensure that every attorney representing indigent clients has the qualifications, training, support and resources that they need to be effective advocates, and that those clients are provided with the best possible representation.

07/28/2021

Writing tips from the Ohio Supreme Court--useful for just about anyone, although geared toward legal writing.

07/16/2021

https://www.ncbar.org/nc-lawyer/2021-02/writing-that-works/

Does Anyone Really Care? (Spoiler: Yes) Over my years of teaching legal writing, I’ve struggled to carve out time to cover grammar and usage. I don’t think it’s the highest and best use of class time, and it certainly isn’t the most interesting. I do require my students to buy a good legal w...

07/12/2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olDAgxf2a7E

This episode covers some strategies for answering judges' questions during oral argument. Preparing for questions at the argument, and being ready for tough ...