Resume

 Michael “Mac” Clebone

Promoting access to justice; serving human interests

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Durham County Office of the Public Defender, Durham, NC                  6/2020—present

Assistant Public Defender                                                                                     

• Represent clients accused of Class I through C Felonies.

  • Achieved Not Guilty verdicts at felony jury trial: including Traffic, Domestic Violence and Drug/Property Divisions.

• Handle all aspects of the case from District Court through disposition, including jail visits, motions practice and oral advocacy.

• Carry a caseload of over 150 case file numbers.

• Cases closed amount to over 500 dispositions.

North Carolina Office of the Public Defender—District 2, Washington, NC  4/2018—5/2020

Assistant Public Defender                                                                          2/2013—4/2017

• Represent clients accused of both felonies and misdemeanors. Range of charges handled include class 3 misdemeanors up through B1 felonies.

  • • Assault With a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury, Accessory to Murder, Robbery With a Dangerous Weapon Trafficking, Driving While Impaired, Sexual Battery, Assault on a Female, Reckless Driving, probation violations and many others.

    • Superior Court motions practice includes a dismissal of a Possession of Firearm by Felon and a dismissal of a DWI after motions to suppress were granted.

    • Jury verdicts include a not guilty verdict in a Failure to Register as a Sex Offender case, a not guilty verdict in a Sexual Battery case and a hung jury on a DWI retrograde-extrapolation case.

• Handle all aspects of the case including jail visits, motions practice and oral advocacy.

• Carry a caseload of over 200 case file numbers between Beaufort, Martin and Hyde Counties. Cases closed amount to over 1400 dispositions.

• Past President of the Beaufort County Bar Association.

• Representative at the 2nd Judicial District Opioid Coalition.

• Member of the Racial Equity Network.

North Carolina Judicial Fellowship, Raleigh, NC                                      4/2017—4/2018

Judicial Fellow

• Provided onsite assistance to judges in 2.1 complex litigation and 3-judge panels.

  • 3-Judge panels included innocence inquiry commission hearing.

• Drafted orders ruling on Motions for Appropriate Relief.

• Prepared toolkits to assist resolution in ongoing complex criminal law matters.

  • Toolkits included Miller v. Alabama order drafting guidance.

• Fielded questions and conducted same-day research for Superior and District Court judges.

• Drafted memoranda on complex legal issues.

Wake County Public Defender, Raleigh, NC                                              8/2012—2/2013

Bridge to Practice Fellow

• Represented clients in court, including at trial.

• Interviewed and advised clients.

• Conducted plea negotiations.

• Conducted legal research and drafted memoranda.

Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, Duke University School of Law       8/2011—12/2011

Student Attorney

• Strategized with attorneys and students on how to proceed with complex litigation.

• Spoke at public air quality hearing on behalf of clients.

• Drafted court documents including complaints, briefs and affidavits.

Legal Aid of North Carolina, Durham, NC                                                     5/2011—8/2011

Legal Intern (and Intern Coordinator 5/2011-8/2011)                                  5/2010—8/2010

• Represented clients at hearings.

• Negotiated and drafted settlement agreements.

• Drafted complaints, answers, and other filings.

• Interviewed and advised clients.

• Trained new interns and coordinated intern projects.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS

Misdemeanor Defender training, Felony Defender training, Trial School 2013 and 2021, the annual Public Defender conferences in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, 2020, 2021,2022 the Racial Equity Network (a two-year program at the School of Government on how to litigate issues of race in the criminal law context), Superior and District Court Judge’s Conferences Spring/Fall of 2017, Higher Level Felony Defense Training 2022.

EDUCATION, LICENSURE AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE

Duke University School of Law, Durham, NC

Juris Doctor, May 2012

•  Licensed North Carolina lawyer since 2012.

Emory University, Atlanta, GA

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, High Honors, May 2007

Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, May 2007

Teacher

Before law school I taught for two years in both public and private schools at the elementary and middle school level and through Teach for America.