North Carolina

North Carolina sits in the Southeastern region of the US, and is located in the Fourth Federal Circuit Court System. With a land area of nearly 54,000 sq. miles it is the 28th most expansive US state, and with over 10 million residents, is the 9th most populous state. North Carolina is divided into 100 counties, with the capital city of Raleigh. This city, along with Durham, makes up the Research Triangle Park, which is the largest research park in the US.  Charlotte is the most populous municipal, and is also the third largest banking center in the US, after New York and San Francisco.

Although the Great Depression greatly affected the state, the New Deal which was struck by Franklin D. Roosevelt helped farmers in the cotton and tobacco industries. Piedmont, Durham, and Raleigh, were among the many cities which thrived soon after WWII, helping the state’s economy begin its growth following the period of depression. The development of the Research Triangle, major universities in the area, and Charlotte becoming a major banking hub in the 1990s, all led to the state’s economic prowess. This along with the boom in tourism, has greatly helped the state recover after several years of downturn. In fact, North Carolina has a very broad economic base. Research, banking, hydroelectric power, agriculture, and tourism, are a few of the many industries the state thrives in. Charlotte is also a major textile and trade hub, and in 2010 Forbes Magazine rated the state as the 3rd best for Business.  

The Government of North Carolina has a structure that was laid out in the North Carolina Constitution.  Like the federal government, the state has a government broken into the judicial, legislative, and executive branches.

The executive branch consists of a ten-member state council, which includes the following officers:

  • Governor
  • Lieutenant Governor
  • Attorney General
  • Secretary of State
  • Commissioner of Agriculture
  • Commissioner of Insurance
  • Commissioner of Labor
  • Superintendent of Public Education
  • State Treasurer
  • State Auditor

The legislative branch is the North Carolina General Assembly, consisting of the 120-member North Carolina House of Representatives and the 50-member North Carolina Senate.

The judicial branch of North Carolina is led by the Supreme Court of North Carolina, consisting of seven justices.  The North Carolina Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court, consisting of 15 member judges who rule on cases in panels of three.  These two courts combined create the appellate division of the state’s court system.

North Carolina’s trial court division consists of the Superior Court and the District Court.  The Superior Court hears all the felony cases and reviews District court decisions. The District court has original jurisdiction over family law matters, juvenile cases for children under the age of 16 and children under 18 who are dependent, neglected or abused. Additionally, the court hears civil claims under $10,000, and small claims involving up to $5000.

North Carolina contributes 15 electoral votes to the general election.

Among the popular universities in the state are Duke, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Wake Forest. There are a total of 58 public community colleges in the state, and North Carolina State University is the largest in the state, with over 34,000 enrolled students.

Industrialization, marijuana legalization, immigration, workplace and labor and employment news stories, Bitcoin and data security/breach cases, are some of the major stories covered by the National Law Review, as they relate to the state of North Carolina. Visitors will find these, and other major updates, legislation, agency news, and prominent headlines on the NLR website, and will routinely find the most up to date stories from the state.

Date Title Organization
26
Sep
Medicaid Expansion in North Carolina Nelson Mullins
20
Sep
Disasters Take Many Forms – Preparing Your Community Association for the Unexpected Ward and Smith, P.A.
20
Sep
Old North State Report – Sept. 20, 2023 Nelson Mullins
18
Sep
Off To the Races: NC Enacts Long Awaited Sports Wagering Legislation with Live Horse Racing Ward and Smith, P.A.
15
Sep
CFIUS Upcoming/New Filing: Enbridge Inc. and Dominion Energy Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
11
Sep
Old North State Report – Sept. 11, 2023 Nelson Mullins
7
Sep
More BVLOS Drone Operations Approved by FAA Robinson & Cole LLP
5
Sep
Old North State Report – Sept. 5, 2023 Nelson Mullins
1
Sep
CMS Announces New Voluntary Multi-payer Primary Care Model in Eight States McDermott Will & Emery
28
Aug
Old North State Report – August 28, 2023 Nelson Mullins
23
Aug
UM/UIM Coverage: What It Is and Why You Need Enough of It Ward and Smith, P.A.
22
Aug
D&O Can Be a Source of Coverage for Opioid Suits Hunton Andrews Kurth
21
Aug
Old North State Report - August 21, 2023 Nelson Mullins
16
Aug
Federal Dollars are Nice to Get, but Owners, Designers, and Builders Need to Watch Out for Those Strings Ward and Smith, P.A.
10
Aug
Part 3: An Update on the Federal and State E-Roe-sion or P-Roe-tection of Abortion Rights Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
8
Aug
Transforming Primary Care: CMS Launches Making Care Primary (MCP) Model Mintz
7
Aug
Old North State Report – August 7, 2023 Nelson Mullins
1
Aug
North Carolina Health Planning Update for 2024: Summer Petitions Have Been Filed Nelson Mullins
31
Jul
Licensing and Permitting for Solar Panel Projects in North Carolina Ward and Smith, P.A.
31
Jul
Old North State Report – July 31, 2023 Nelson Mullins
27
Jul
Old North State Report – July 26, 2023 Nelson Mullins
27
Jul
Slogans and Insults: Fisher Defendants Respond to the Government’s Novel Conservation Easement Case Polsinelli PC
19
Jul
New Requirements for North Carolina Utility-Scale Solar Projects Nelson Mullins
13
Jul
NC Courts Step Into the Digital Age With E-Filing Rollout: A Look at the Progress Ward and Smith, P.A.
12
Jul
Whistle Blown: Time Out on North Carolina Student Athlete NIL Deals Ward and Smith, P.A.
11
Jul
Tracing the Tsunami of HOA Bills: WRAL Talks with Community Associations Attorney Adam Beaudoin Ward and Smith, P.A.
10
Jul
CFPB Analyzes the Financial Health of Rural Borrowers in the South Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
5
Jul
The Proposed 2024 SMFP Has Arrived - Petitions to Adjust Need Determinations Are Due Soon! Nelson Mullins
30
Jun
Thinking About Wayfair on its Five-Year Anniversary Jones Walker LLP
30
Jun
Old North State Report – June 30, 2023 Nelson Mullins
28
Jun
Supreme Court Upholds State Courts’ Power of Judicial Review Over Election Matters Miller Canfield
28
Jun
Another Election Law Blockbuster: Moore Is Alive, but Independent State Legislature Theory Is Not – SCOTUS Today Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
26
Jun
Attention Vacation Rental Companies: North Carolina Courts Create Reason to Review Procedures for Rental Agreements Ward and Smith, P.A.
20
Jun
Old North State Report – June 20, 2023 Nelson Mullins
19
Jun
Old North State Report – June 19, 2023 Nelson Mullins
12
Jun
Old North State Report – May 31, 2023 Nelson Mullins
9
Jun
Old North State Report – June 5, 2023 Nelson Mullins
7
Jun
Game On: Mid-Year Update on U.S. Gaming Industry's Expanding Regulations, Legislation, and Launches Blank Rome LLP
30
May
Trending in Telehealth: May 16 – 22, 2023 McDermott Will & Emery
22
May
Senate Approves Budget on Bi-Partisan Vote, Setting Up Negotiations with Newly-Minted Supermajority Ward and Smith, P.A.
19
May
Old North State Report – May 19, 2023 Nelson Mullins
18
May
Uncertainty for the North Carolina Pork Industry: US Supreme Court Upholds California's Proposition 12 Ward and Smith, P.A.
14
May
NC Retail Permits Cancelled – But a Solution Is Available Ward and Smith, P.A.
8
May
Old North State Report – May 8, 2023 Nelson Mullins
4
May
April 2023 PFAS Legislative Developments CMBG3 Law
2
May
Old North State Report – May 2, 2023 Nelson Mullins
26
Apr
Pedestrian Accidents in North Carolina Ward and Smith, P.A.
24
Apr
Old North State Report – April 24, 2023 Nelson Mullins
19
Apr
North Carolina Session Law 2023-7 Results in Major Reforms to Certificate of Need Nelson Mullins
19
Apr
Judges Get Age and Wage Boost in NC House Budget Ward and Smith, P.A.