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!
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
Monthly sessions are held on the third Thursday of each month from 1-2 p.m. EST.
Topics Include:
Registration is now open for the Bridging the Gap IX Mitigation Conference. The Seminar will be a live in person conference in Raleigh at the AOC Building in Raleigh. (901 Corporate Center Drive) The dates are December 2-4, 2025. The agenda here: BRIDGING THE GAP IX MITIGATION CONFERENCE iiii REGISTRATION: The registration fee is […]
The Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office and the Federal Defender for the Western District of North Carolina are hosting a FREE-to-attend Mitigation for the Non-Capital Client Series, either in person at the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office or through Webex. Each session is 90 minutes (from 12:30-2pm) and is approved for 1.5 hours of other […]
2025 Mental Health and Education Series: Session 6 The 6 “Rs” of Trauma-Informed Care Presented by Carla Huff, LCSW This session is approved for 60 minutes of CLE Credit. Schedule: The webinar will be held on Thursday, November 20th from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. Please plan to sign on 15 minutes before […]
November 12, 2025 Webex To sign up, please email [email protected]
The 2025 Misdemeanor Defender Training, co-sponsored by the UNC School of Government and the Office of Indigent Defense Services, is now open. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, DATES, AND LOCATION: The Misdemeanor Defender Training will be held at the UNC School of Government on Wednesday, November 12 through Friday, November 14. Topics will include impaired driving, stops […]
The Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office is hosting a free to attend presentation on Behind the Bruises: A Medical Perspective on Strangulation in Legal Cases. When: November 7, 2025 at 12:30 p.m. This CLE is approved for 1 "other" hour. If you need CLE credit, you must either (1) sign in when you arrive, (2) […]
The Office of the Capital Defender will have a FREE one day seminar on Wymore Jury Selection Friday, November 7, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. The seminar will be in room #9000 on the ninth floor of the Durham County Courthouse. The seminar is free and allows 5 general credit hours with the NC State […]
The Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office and the Federal Defender for the Western District of North Carolina are hosting a FREE-to-attend Mitigation for the Non-Capital Client Series, either in person at the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office or through Webex. Each session is 90 minutes (from 12:30-2pm) and is approved for 1.5 hours of other […]
October 24, 2025 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Southwestern Community College - Burrell Building 447 College Drive, Sylva, NC 28779 SYLVA- CLE BROCHURE CRIM 2025 Approved for 7 hours of CLE (includes 1 hour of ethics CLE and 1 hour of technoogy CLE).
The Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office is hosting a free-to-attend, live webcast presentation on Forensic Video and Audio Enhancement. Pending approval by the NC State Bar, this presentation is for 1 hour of technology CLE credit. If you need CLE credit, you must either complete the post-CLE survey or email [email protected] your name, NC State […]
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 […]
The Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office is hosting a free-to-attend CLE on The Care, Feeding, and Discovery of Expert Witnesses. When: October 10 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Everyone who registers will receive an email on October 9 with instructions to join. You may log on or enter the conference room by 12:15 p.m. Please register here: […]
