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!
2025 IDS Forensic Science Education Series – Part 2
IDS and the Mecklenburg Public Defender’s Office offer FREE, regular continuing education to criminal defense and parent attorneys, investigators, and mitigation specialists across North Carolina.
Inside the State Crime Lab: Forensic Testing Explained
July 24: Drug Chemistry – Forensic Scientist Manager Amanda Venable
Aug. 7: Toxicology – Forensic Scientist Supervisor Danielle O’Connell
Sept. 4: Trace Evidence – Forensic Scientist Manager David Freehling
Sept. 18: Mobile Device Examinations and Audio/Video Examinations – Forensic Scientist II Sterling Hunt
Oct. 2: Forensic Biology – Forensic Scientist Supervisor Wendell Ivory
Nov. 6: Firearms – Forensic Scientist Manager Jennifer Slish
Dec. 4: Latent Evidence – Forensic Scientist Managers Summer Maffett and Karen Morrow
IDS Mental Health and Education Series
Monthly sessions are held on the third Thursday of each month from 1-2 p.m. EST.
Topics Include:
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder – July
- Trauma Stewardship for Self and Others – August
- Suicide Prevention – September
- Stress Management for the Holidays – October
- 6 “R”s of Trauma-Informed Care – November
- Perinatal Mental Health – December
- This event has passed.
Stress Management for Attorneys and Law: The Rest of The Year and Beyond
2025 Mental Health and Education Series: Session 5
Stress Management for Attorneys and Law:
The Rest of The Year and Beyond
Presented by Carla Huff, LCSW
This session will be submitted for 60 minutes of PWB CLE Credit, and no partial credit will be given.
Schedule: The webinar will be held on Thursday, October 16th from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Please plan to sign on 15 minutes before the start of the webinar to test your connection. The webinar includes a visual presentation, live audio, and interactive Q & A.
Course Sign Up: here
Fee: There is no registration fee for participants.
Description: This 1-hour training explores how everyday habits shape our response to stress and overall well-being. Participants will examine how past experiences influence present reactions, the emotional toll of isolation, and how consistent daily wellness practices can strengthen resilience. The session emphasizes the power of choice and recognizes decision fatigue as a modern source of stress. By the end of this training, attendees will understand how intentional choices and gratitude can positively shift both mindset and physiological stress levels.
Participants: This webinar is open to public defenders, private attorneys who do indigent criminal defense work, and staff.
Presenter: Carla Huff, MEd, MSW, LCSW: Carla began her career in the United States Army and has also worked as a Juvenile Court Counselor and Special Education Teacher providing support for children and adolescents diagnosed with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI). She later transitioned to working at Alliance Health, a local managed care organization. Here, she covered multiple counties and led 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 currently works at Indigent Defense Services, employed through an NC IOLTA Grant. In this role, she is responsible for attorney recruitment and providing trauma-informed training to staff and contractors. Carla is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has an interest in the impact of trauma, post-traumatic stress injury in civilians and military personnel, and social determinants/drivers of health. When Carla is not working, she tries to be intentional about spending time on her own wellness which includes hiking, bicycling and kayaking.
For more information or if you have differing abilities and need an accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Carla Huff, [email protected], 919-354-7207 or 919-888-0984.
