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.
Disability Advocacy and The Criminal Justice System
Monday, April 20th 12:30-1:30pm
1 General CLE
Description of Presentation: People with opioid use disorder frequently face dangerous and unlawful disruptions in care when they enter jails, including forced withdrawal from prescribed medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). This training provides court-appointed attorneys with a practical and legally grounded framework for addressing these issues. Participants will gain an understanding of MOUD as the gold standard of care, the serious medical risks associated with its discontinuation, and the obligations of jails under federal disability rights laws—including the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act—as well as the Eighth Amendment. Through case law, Department of Justice guidance, and real-world advocacy examples, this session will examine common jail practices that violate these protections and outline concrete steps attorneys can take to intervene. The training emphasizes early identification, effective communication with jail officials, and litigation strategies to ensure clients receive medically appropriate, non-discriminatory care.
Trainer: Sarah Harrington, J.D. joined Disability Rights of North Carolina in 2023. Prior to working with DRNC, she owned her own law firm focusing on estate planning. Sara has a variety of experience working in prelitigation and estate planning and is an active volunteer with several organizations both locally and statewide. She received her bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and graduated from Campbell University School of Law.
Trainer: Luke Woollard, J.D. joined Disability Rights of North Carolina’s prison and jails team in January 2019. He received his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University. He attended UNC School of Law after spending two years in Americorps. Prior to DRNC, Woollard began his legal career working to correct the wrongful convictions of indigent North Carolina inmates.
Registration link for this presentation:
https://nccourts.webex.com/weblink/register/r96ab77657b72e3debb45c809912e0798 Please plan to sign on 15 minutes before the start of the webinar to test your connection.
Registration link for the series:
Fee, Registration and Credit: There is no registration fee for participants. To receive CLE credit, all participants must pre-register individually. To receive full CLE credit, attendees must attend for the full training time.
For more information or if you need an accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Carla Huff, [email protected], 919-354-7207.
