Program Instructors
Steven A. McCloskey
Lead Instructor
Steve McCloskey received a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Tech in 1974. From 1974 to 1978, he was a police officer in Greensboro, North Carolina. He then spent several years in real estate and entered the School of Law at North Carolina Central University in 1996. He earned his JD degree, cum laude, from North Carolina Central University in 1999.
Since 1999, Steve has had a successful law practice in Winston-Salem, where he concentrates in the areas of torts and contract law. He has taught paralegal studies since 2004 and has appeared as a guest lecturer for the North Carolina Paralegal Association. He has written two books on the law: Essentials of Real Estate Law, and Surety Law in North Carolina. Steve holds a Master of Legal Letters (LLM) degree in Estate Planning and Elder Law. In 2015, he received the William and Ida Friday Center’s Excellence in Teaching award.
“My love for the law and passion for teaching come together in the UNC-Chapel Hill Paralegal Certificate program. Having attended law school later in life, I deeply understand the value of career shifts and the life changes they can inspire. It’s a privilege to guide students as they immerse themselves in the law and help them to help themselves for success in a new profession. I invite you to take this step with us through the UNC Paralegal Program … and open the door to a whole new chapter in your life.”
—Steve McCloskey, Lead Instructor
Christon Halkiotis
Criminal Law and Family Law Instructor
A native of Chapel Hill, NC, and a proud granddaughter of Greek immigrants, Christon Halkiotis is a graduate of Rutgers University (2000) & the North Carolina Central University School of Law (2004). She has practiced criminal law exclusively since she was licensed in 2004 and has tried high level felonies to juries as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney. She has been Board Certified as a Specialist in State Criminal Law by the North Carolina State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization since 2014.
Christon spent 15 years as a prosecutor in the Guilford County, NC, District Attorney’s Office. In October 2019, Christon left government work and opened The Law Office of Christon S. Halkiotis, PLLC, a boutique criminal defense firm in Greensboro, NC, where she defends all manner of criminal cases, with a focus on high-level felony and capital defense.
Christon has served as President of both the Junior League of Greensboro (2018-2019) and the Greensboro Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Association (2023). She is also currently serving a second three-year term on the North Carolina State Bar’s Disciplinary Hearing Commission & is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Elon University School of Law. Christon was elected by her peers to Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite in Criminal Law in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, & 2025 & was recognized as a North Carolina Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense in 2024 & 2025.
John Nieman
Courthouse Tour and Certification Review Instructor
After graduating from the North Carolina Central School of Law, John Nieman began his legal career as a solo practitioner in Chapel Hill. He then served as a prosecutor with the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office and later became a member of the litigation department at the law firm of Donaldson and Black in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2004, he joined the Office of the Public Defender in Guilford County. In December 2023, he retired as Chief Public Defender for Guilford County where he oversaw an office of 29 attorneys and 12 paralegals.
He is presently Chair of the Advisory Committee for Clinical Studies and Associate Director of Career Services at the newly-formed Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law at High Point University. He is also a commissioner of the Indigent Defense Services Commission. He has been teaching criminal law, family law, contracts, torts, and property law to paralegals since 1995. He was formerly on the faculty of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, where he taught trial advocacy and evidence and co-created the evidence curriculum.
He has lectured at UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, Guilford College, Greensboro College, Elon School of Law, and numerous Continuing Legal Education programs on a variety of topics including legal ethics, court systems, and negotiations.
His wife, Martha Massie, is a board-certified Family Law attorney and negotiator and his son, Jeff Nieman, is the elected District Attorney for North Carolina’s 18th Prosecutorial District, which includes Orange and Chatham counties.
Mark Kleinschmidt
Wills and Trusts Instructor
Mark Kleinschmidt received a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and after teaching high school for several years, received his JD degree from UNC School of Law in 2000. He served on the Chapel Hill Town Council from 2001 to 2009 and was elected Mayor of Chapel Hill in 2009.
In 2018, Kleinschmidt was elected as Orange County’s Clerk of Superior Court and was re-elected in 2022. As the Clerk of Superior Court, he serves as Orange County’s Judge of Probate. Kleinschmidt serves on the Executive Committee of the Conference of Clerks of Superior Court (CCSC), is the North Carolina liaison to the National College of Probate Judges and serves on the board of the NC Guardianship Association.
Before being elected Clerk, Kleinschmidt practiced law for more than 18 years with a focus on high-stakes criminal defense and civil rights, first at the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, then as Executive Director of the Fair Trial Initiative and finally with the firm Tin Fulton Walker & Owen. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the UNC School of Law teaching trial advocacy.
Marta Kiss
Paralegal Skills Instructor
Marta Kiss has been a dedicated paralegal professional since 2015, when she began her career with a federal public defender. She completed the Paralegal Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December 2017, and shortly thereafter began teaching in the same program as a paralegal instructor.
In 2018, Marta became a North Carolina Certified Paralegal. She currently serves as Vice President of Education for the Raleigh-Wake Paralegal Association and sits on the Paralegal Certification Committee, where she contributes to advancing the profession and supporting fellow paralegals.
From 2017 to 2020, Marta worked in immigration law and later launched her own freelance paralegal business, supporting solo attorneys in criminal defense, immigration, and real estate law. Her expertise in litigation and client services eventually led her into the field of jury consulting.
Marta now works as a Litigation Support Specialist at Trilogy Trial Consultants, where she travels nationally to assist plaintiff attorneys, primarily in personal injury cases – with jury selection and trial preparation.
Originally from San Diego, California, Marta holds a BA in Education. After college, she lived in Budapest, Hungary for five years, teaching English at a private school. Since 2018, she has made Durham, North Carolina her home. Outside of work, Marta enjoys sports, yoga, reading, travel, and spending time with her family, friends, and her beloved dog, Lola.
Greg Wintermeier
Business Law Instructor
Greg Wintermeier serves as Vice President of Tax and Risk Management at IMC, where he applies both his accounting and legal knowledge to assess corporate risk and guide organizational strategy. He joined the UNC-Chapel Hill Paralegal Program as an instructor in 2025, where he teaches business law and legal fundamentals to aspiring paralegals.
Greg completed UNC-Chapel Hill’s Paralegal Certificate Program in 2024 and became a North Carolina Certified Paralegal later that year. Though not a practicing paralegal in the traditional sense, he actively uses the skills gained through the program in his day-to-day role at IMC, particularly in evaluating corporate legal matters and ensuring compliance across a broad range of business activities.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting from North Carolina State University and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. Prior to his current role, Greg worked in public accounting in Raleigh, focusing on tax matters for a variety of clients.
Greg lives in Raleigh with his wife, daughter, and their energetic dog. When he’s not working or teaching, he enjoys trying new restaurants and staying active, usually in that order.
