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 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.
The Defending Sexual Assault Cases 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 program will be held at the UNC School of Government on Thursday, April 16, through Friday, April 17. Topics will include pretrial investigation, motions practice, theme […]
The 2026 Civil Defense Special Topic, co-sponsored by the UNC School of Government and the Office of Indigent Defense Services, is now open. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, DATES, AND LOCATION: This program will be held at the UNC School of Government on Thursday, March 19, through Friday, March 20. Sessions will focus on the various stages of a […]
The 2026 Child Support Enforcement course, co-sponsored by the UNC School of Government and the Office of Indigent Defense Services, is now open. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, DATE, AND LOCATION: Child Support Enforcement will be held at the School of Government on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Topics will include civil and criminal contempt; trending issues involving incarceration; […]
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 2025 Higher-Level Felony Defense 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 Higher-Level Felony Defense Training will be held at the School of Government on Tuesday, September 9 – Thursday, September 11. Topics will include preparing for serious […]
The 2025 Juvenile Defender Conference and Parent Attorney Conference, co-sponsored by the UNC School of Government and the Office of Indigent Defense Services, are now open. Please register by Friday, August 8. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, DATES, AND LOCATION: The Juvenile Defender Conference will be held at the School of Government on Wednesday, August 20. Topics […]
The 2025 Defender Trial School, co-sponsored by the School of Government and the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services, will be held Monday, July 7 through Friday, July 11 at the UNC School of Government. The program will offer approximately 29.50 hours of CLE credit, including one hour of Ethics credit, and qualifies for NC State […]
Registration for the Summer Criminal Law 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 2025 Summer Criminal Law Webinar will […]
The Death Penalty 2025 Seminar will be in Chapel Hill May 1-2, 2025. AGENDA NCAJ is sponsoring the seminar. The seminar has two parts. The first is Thursday evening, May 1, 2025. There will be a reception, a banquet, and a guest speaker. The reception begins at 5 p.m. The guest speaker is Professor Seth […]
The next quarterly Indigent Defense Services (IDS) Commission Meeting will be held on February 7 at 10:00 am, with both in-person and virtual attendance options available. The agenda will include […]
Registration for the Felony Defender Training, scheduled for February 5-7, 2025, is now open and available at https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/felony-defender-training. This training is co-sponsored by the UNC School of Government and the […]
Registration for the 2025 Guardianship Proceedings for Appointed Counsel and Civil Commitment Conferences, co-sponsored by the School of Government and the Office of Indigent Defense Services, is now open. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, DATES, AND LOCATION: Both conferences will be held in-person at the School of Government in Chapel Hill and are open to public defenders, appellate […]
