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.

Custom text Title Organization
Nov
21
2012
2012 Year-End Estate Planning Advisory Katten
Nov
19
2012
N.C. Court of Appeals Addresses Powers of Attorney In Context of Commercial Development Loans Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
Nov
18
2012
Pre-Audit Certificates and Oral Municipal Contracts Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
Oct
31
2012
EPA Approves Temporary Fuel Waivers to Assist States Impacted by Hurricane Sandy U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Oct
23
2012
Dairy Queen Franchisee to Pay $17,500 to Settle Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Lawsuit U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Oct
13
2012
No Material Change - No Forbidden CON Application Amendment Poyner Spruill LLP
Sep
27
2012
Mandatory E-Verify Compliance in North Carolina to Begin October 1st Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Sep
25
2012
E-Verify Reminder! North Carolina Deadlines Poyner Spruill LLP
Sep
10
2012
Silver Diner Sued by EEOC for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Sep
6
2012
Ads by Anonymous Political Groups Bash Obama on Big Night: Welcome to Charlotte, Mr. President Center for Public Integrity
Aug
29
2012
Energy and Environment Update - August 26, 2012 Mintz
Aug
9
2012
Clean Water Case Targets Wetlands Protection in North Carolina Center for Public Integrity
Aug
7
2012
2013 Will Be a Slow Growth Year For Long Term Care in North Carolina Poyner Spruill LLP
Aug
7
2012
Energy and Environment Law Update - August 7, 2012 Mintz
Jul
31
2012
Comfort Inn Oceanfront South Sued By EEOC for Religious Discrimination U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Jul
9
2012
Energy and Environment Update - July 8, 2012 Mintz
Jul
2
2012
Plaintiff’s Efforts to Preclude Her Deposition in Discrimination/Retaliation Suit Rejected by U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Jul
1
2012
Can You Preserve Your Claims Against a Borrower After Filing a 1099-C Cancellation of Debt? Poyner Spruill LLP
Jun
25
2012
Energy and Environmental Law Updates - June 24, 2012 Mintz
Jun
18
2012
N.C. Senate Okays Attorneys’ Fees for Administrative Cases Challenging State Agency Actions Poyner Spruill LLP
May
30
2012
Energy and Environmental Law Update - May 29, 2012 Mintz
May
28
2012
Insurance Coverage for "Hidden" Mechanics' and Materialmen's Lien Claims in North Carolina is Disappearing Poyner Spruill LLP
May
14
2012
Bankruptcy Court Delivers Next Chapter In Developing Law Regarding Post-Petition Lien Perfection By Subcontractors Poyner Spruill LLP
May
10
2012
Responding to an Audit? Be Prepared! Poyner Spruill LLP
May
8
2012
The Dawning of the Age of ALJ Final Decisions Poyner Spruill LLP
May
8
2012
Energy and Environment Law Update - May 7, 2012 Mintz
May
7
2012
E-Verify: North Carolina and Federal Requirements Poyner Spruill LLP
Apr
25
2012
North Carolina Chicken Farm Fights NPDES Permit for Air Emissions Varnum LLP
Mar
15
2012
Conflicting Developments in Same-Sex Marriage Laws Add Complexity for Benefit Plan Sponsors McDermott Will & Emery
Mar
13
2012
Will a Moratorium on Confined Animal Feeding Operations Ever Get Through the Indiana General Assembly? Northeastern University School of Law
Jan
29
2012
North Carolina to Join Ranks of States Requiring Employers to Enroll in E-Verify Poyner Spruill LLP
Jan
4
2012
FERC Rejects Duke-Progress Merger Mitigation Plan Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Jan
2
2012
New IRS Program Limits Liability for Misclassified Workers Poyner Spruill LLP
Jan
2
2012
Literally, A Million Dollar Question: Can (or Will) Local Governments Regulate Fracking? Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
30
2011
NC General Assembly's Regulatory Reform Committee Begins Meetings Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
29
2011
Thirteen NC Counties Set to Revalue in 2012 Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
28
2011
"Independent" Informal Dispute Resolution Goes Live on January 1, 2012 Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
28
2011
Payoff Statements and Short-Pay Statements Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
27
2011
NC Supreme Court Upholds Private College Campus Police Power Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
26
2011
Now’s the Time for Plan Sponsors to Prepare for Implementation of New DOL Fee Disclosure Regulations – Part II, Participant Fee Disclosure Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
25
2011
I-9 Compliance Revisited Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
23
2011
Hiring or Contracting with Excluded Individuals or Entities Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
22
2011
OSHA Issues Workplace Violence Guidance Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
20
2011
Congress Reconsiders Independent Contractor Classification Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
19
2011
Contested Cases Under the North Carolina Administrative Procedure Act Poyner Spruill LLP
Dec
15
2011
Dairy Queen Restaurant Sued By EEOC for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Dec
6
2011
Butterball Sued By EEOC For Harassment, Firing Of HIV-Positive Employee U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Nov
29
2011
Luihn Food Systems Pays $277,000 To Resolve EEOC Sexual Harassment Lawsuit U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Aug
13
2011
Venture Capital: Preliminary Questions for Entrepreneurs Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
Aug
13
2011
NLRB in Battle Against S.C. Boeing Workers Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
 

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