Monthly Attorney Orientation
For Lawyers who are New to Indigent Defense
Beginning August 1, IDS staff will provide orientation for new attorneys on the first Friday of each month from 1-2 p.m.
Topics will include a guided tour of the IDS website, information on training and CLE opportunities, access to wellness resources and more. You will also be able to connect with other defense attorneys for future collaboration!
2026 IDS Forensic Science Education Series
IDS and the Mecklenburg Public Defender’s Office provide regular continuing education to dozens of NC criminal defense and parent attorneys, investigators, and mitigation specialists who attend the IDS Forensic Science Education Series.
In 2026, we will offer monthly 90-minute webinars on various aspects of forensic evidence. These webinars will take place typically at 12:30 pm on the first Thursday of each month. Click here to view the 2026 Schedule.
The first six sessions of 2026 will focus on understanding and advocating for neurodivergent clients.
- This event has passed.
Secondary Traumatic Stress – September
FREE WEBINAR: Friday, September 22nd at 2:30 p.m.
60 minutes of MH Credit Offered
Secondary Traumatic Stress: Its Impacts & Strategies for Coping Effectively: Frequent exposure to traumatic experiences impacts our overall health and well-being. This presentation will focus on describing secondary traumatic stress and how it impacts the brain, who is at risk for experiencing secondary traumatic stress and signs of secondary traumatic stress. Attorneys will gain knowledge on how exposure to trauma and secondary traumatic events impacts overall well-being and how to apply strategies to increase overall physical, emotional, and psychological well-being with a focus on decreasing the risk and impact of secondary traumatic stress.
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Participants: This webinar is open to public defenders, private attorneys who do indigent criminal defense work, and their staff.
Schedule: The webinar will be held on Friday, September 22nd from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Please plan to sign on 15 minutes before the start of the webinar to test your connection.
Registration: Please register at the following link: https://nccourts.webex.com/weblink/register/r74fcd76efdc2890420ee62d61a0ceb8f
Fee: There is no registration fee for participants. Those interested in earning 1 CLE (currently pending approval by the state bar) will be billed by the State Bar for the cost of CLE at $3.50 per hour. To receive CLE credit, all participants must pre-register individually.
Presenter:
Carla Huff, MEd, MSW, LCSW: Carla began her career in the United States Army and was trained in military intelligence and law enforcement. After leaving the military, Carla worked as a juvenile court counselor for the Department of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention in Wake County (Department of Public Safety-Juvenile Services). Carla also spent time working in Wake County Public Schools, providing support for children and adolescents diagnosed with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI). She later transitioned to working with Alliance Health, a local managed care organization. Here, she covered multiple counties and was part of two pilot programs—one providing support to caregivers of children with complex health needs, the other supporting community inclusion for individuals transitioning out of long-term care, housing and incarceration.
Carla is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has particular interests in the impact of trauma and brain development, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in civilians and military personnel, and social determinants/drivers of health.
For More Information: Contact Carla Huff, Recruitment and Training Coordinator at [email protected] .
If you have a disability and need an accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Carla Huff, [email protected], 919-354-7207.
