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!

Click HERE to sign up.

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.

Click HERE to sign up.

  • Juvenile Defender Conference & Parent Attorney Conference — August 28th and 29th

    UNC School of Government 400 South Rd., Chapel Hill, United States

    The 2024 Juvenile Defender and Parent Attorney Conferences are cosponsored by the UNC School of Government and the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, DATES, AND LOCATION: The Juvenile Defender Conference will be held on Wednesday, August 28, from 8:50am to 4:00pm. Topics will include legislative and case law updates to juvenile law […]

  • FREE Wymore Jury Selection Seminar

    **Limited to attorneys who are on the Capital Roster** FREE one-day Wymore Jury selection seminar to be held in Jackson, Northampton County, North Carolina on August 23, 2024. The meeting will be in the old courthouse at 102 W. Jefferson Street, Jackson, NC. This seminar is open for any lawyer that is not a prosecutor. […]

  • FREE WEBINAR: Adverse Childhood Experiences 101

    Friday, August 16 -- 12:30 p.m. 60 minutes of CLE Credit Offered Adverse Childhood Experiences 101: Childhood experiences impact overall development and functioning, resulting in risk and protective factors. This presentation will focus on the impact of adverse childhood experiences, impact on brain development, overall health risk factors and what the data has shown about […]

  • FREE WEBINAR–Break the Stigma: Let’s Talk About It

    Wednesday, August 14th @ 2:30 p.m. 90-minutes of CLE Credit Offered; 60-minutes satisfies the professional well-being requirement. Break The Stigma: Let’s Talk About It Talking about suicide is both difficult and lifesaving. This training will provide a brief overview of data related to specific population groups that statistics show have higher rates of suicide, including […]

  • IDS Commission Meeting

    The IDS Commission will hold its third quarter meeting of the year on Friday, August 9, 2024. This is a virtual meeting only, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. via Webex. Click HERE for Details!

  • Making sure the sentence you are asking for is the one you want – FREE Webcast

    The Federal Public Defender for the Western District of North Carolina and the Mecklenburg County Public Defender’s Office are co-hosting a free-to-attend, live webinar on Making Sure the Sentence You are Asking for is the One You Want. Pending approval by the NC State Bar, this presentation is for 1 general hour. If you need […]

  • 2024 Defender Trial School

    UNC School of Government 400 South Rd., Chapel Hill, United States

    We are excited to announce that the 2024 Defender Trial School, cosponsored by the School of Government and the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services, will be held Monday, July 8 through Friday, July 12 at the School of Government. The program will offer approximately 29.5 hours of CLE credit, including one hour of  […]

  • FREE Webinar: for Indigent Defenders in Civil Proceedings

    REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Thanks to the support of the Office of Indigent Defense Services and the UNC School of Government, we are pleased to announce that there is no registration fee for eligible indigent defenders. The webinar, presented by School of Government faculty Timothy Heinle, will cover (i) lay witness fact and opinion testimony, […]

  • 2024 Western Youth Defender Forum

    Save the date and join the Office of the Juvenile Defender and local colleagues at an all-day CLE training event. There, you will be able to network and learn more about the impact high quality representation has in and out of the courtroom. Click here to register or copy and paste the following link on […]

  • SAVE THE DATE: Honoring Juneteenth in Our Courts

    Dawn Baxton, President of The North Carolina Association of Public Defenders, would like to cordially invite you to the following event: The North Carolina Association of Public Defenders and the NCCU School of Law Social Justice and Racial Equity Institute (SJREI) are planning an event to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday this year.

  • FREE Webinar: Summer 2024 Criminal Law Update

    Registration for the Summer Criminal Law Update webinar is now open. Thanks to the support of the Office of Indigent Defense Services and the UNC School of Government, we are pleased to announce that there is no registration fee for indigent defenders who meet the eligibility criteria described below. The 2024 Summer Criminal Law Update […]