Glenn Gerding will continue to serve as appellate defender following a vote to reappoint him by members of the North Carolina Commission on Indigent Defense Services at the Commission's quarterly meeting on July 30, 2021. 

“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,” said Darrin Jordan, chair of the Commission on Indigent Defense Services. 

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

Gerding was in private practice before his initial appointment as appellate defender in 2015, 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, North Carolina, 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.