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.
Webinar: Challenging eyewitness ID testimony and utilizing defense experts
Live webinar presented by Dr. Lori Van Wallendael and Attorney Greg Tosi May 5, 2022, 12:30 pm 90 min of CLE credit anticipated
Description: This program will discuss current eyewitness identification research. Dr. Van Wallendael will explain what issues attorneys should look out for in an ID case that might indicate problems with the identification. Issues that can affect the reliability of the identification during the incident, after the incident, due to a witness’s investigation on social media/ internet, and problems with in court IDs will all be discussed. Dr. Van Wallendael will also discuss the effective use of eyewitness ID experts, including what information is needed from discovery and in preparation for testimony.
Greg Tosi will address the effective use of eyewitness ID experts from the attorney’s perspective, using a case example. Mr. Tosi will discuss how he utilized an eyewitness ID expert in a recent trial, including consulting with the expert prior to trial, preparing for testimony, and overcoming any objections to her testimony.
Registration: This program is part of the 2022 IDS Forensic Science Education Series. The webinars will be presented monthly and are free to attend. Attorneys who want CLE credit for attending will be billed $3.50 per credit hour by the State Bar. Use this link to register for all webinars in the series and attend any that are of interest.
Presenters:
Lori Van Wallendael, Ph.D. Dr. Van Wallendael is an Associate Professor of Psychology at UNC-Charlotte. She received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Her research interests include Eyewitness and earwitness memory, juror decisions, and false memories. She has worked as a consultant and testifying expert in several NC cases.
Gregory Tosi Greg Tosi practices criminal defense in State and Federal Court. His practice is based in Charlotte. Prior to going into private practice, he worked as an Assistant Public Defender for Mecklenburg County for nearly 10 years. Mr. Tosi received his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, MA. During his time there, he completed four legal internships with the Massachusetts Attorney General, Ferguson, Stein, Chambers Gresham & Sumter, Gillis & Bikofsky, and NC Superior Court Judge William Z. Wood.
