Mark Botts is an associate professor of public law and government in the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, focusing on Law with a specialization in mental health law. He earned a B.A. from Albion College and a J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1990. Prior to joining the School of Government in 1992, he served judicial clerkships with the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Botts provides training, consulting, and publications for mental health professionals, consumers of services and their family members, employees and administrators of public mental health agencies, judicial officials, law enforcement officers, county commissioners, mental health authority board members, and other public and private officials responsible for mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services in North Carolina. His expertise covers civil commitment, confidentiality of mental health records, client rights, psychotherapist liability, governance, finance, and administration of public mental health services.

At the request of legislators and public officials, Botts has drafted legislation amending North Carolina state law governing confidentiality of mental health records, involuntary commitment, advance directives for mental health treatment, and organization, administration, and governance of public mental health authorities. His key publications include A Legal Manual for Area Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Boards in North Carolina; North Carolina Juvenile Justice-Behavioral Health Information Sharing Guide (co-authored); and Responding to Subpoenas: A Guide for Mental Health Facilities (co-authored with John Rubin). He has contributed to chapters on confidentiality and information sharing, Local Government in North Carolina, and Abuse, Neglect, Dependency manuals, as well as blog posts on Coates' Canons about patient consent for behavioral health information release (2024) and LME board appointments (2012). Through trainings, legislative drafting, and publications, Botts impacts mental health law policy and practice in North Carolina.

Professional Email: botts@sog.unc.edu