North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services

The North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services' (IDS) head office is located in Durham, NC. IDS has legal professionals that oversee legal representation for indigent defendants and others entitled to counsel in North Carolina. The Office of IDS works daily to make real the Constitution’s right to counsel for those charged with crimes or who face significant deprivations to their liberty. IDS trains, qualifies, and sets performance standards for attorneys and determines the most appropriate and cost-effective methods for delivering legal defense services in each of the state’s judicial districts. The organization’s work includes establishing a specialized Office of the Juvenile Defender and creating performance guidelines for appointed counsel across many practice areas. IDS also works regularly with the Offices of the Capital Defender and Appellate Defender to recruit and evaluate attorneys for their respective rosters, ensure their appointments in a timely and equitable manner, and support them with expert services. IDS also has an Adult Criminal Division and Civil Commitment Unit. For more information about IDS and its role in public defense, you may call or write IDS using the contact information on the right side of this page.