North Carolina
North Carolina’s highest court is the Supreme Court of North Carolina. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice. The chief justice is chosen through election. (Source: North Carolina Constitution)
Judicial Selection
Justices on the Supreme Court of North Carolina are selected through a partisan election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat. The elected justice serves an eight-year term. Justices may seek additional terms through partisan elections. When a seat opens in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor appoints a candidate to fill the vacancy. The appointed justice holds office until North Carolina’s next general election more than 60 days after the vacancy occurred. The elected justice serves the remainder of the unexpired term. There are no term limits. The mandatory retirement age is 72.
State Constitution
North Carolina has had three state constitutions adopted between 1776 and 1970. As of January 1, 2024, it had 41 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
Filters
North Carolina Supreme Court Throws Out Decades-Old Right-to-Education Case
The decision, which comes after a 2022 change in the composition of the court and reverses the court’s earlier holding in the same case, rests on dubious grounds.
North Carolina High Court Set to Backtrack on School Funding
The state supreme court is revisiting its 2022 ruling requiring the legislature to allocate funds to ensure children receive a constitutionally adequate education.
Closing Remarks
Transcript of panel from Symposium: State Constitutions and the Limits of Criminal Punishments
The Tenacious Power of Constitutional Torts
Despite hurdles, civil rights litigation is a critical tool for people who have been harmed by the government and for those seeking long-lasting change.
Who’s Hiring State Supreme Court Clerks?
State-by-state information to aid law students and young attorneys in securing a state clerkship.
Religious Freedom and Abortion
Religious liberty protections have been steadily extended in both state and federal court over the last two decades. In some states, plaintiffs are arguing religious liberty includes a right to an abortion, with some success.
Earning a Living in Arizona’s History
A recent oral argument portends Arizona may be the latest state to reject lockstepping with the federal rational basis test in economic liberties cases.
The Other Declarations of 1776
A number of states adopted constitutions, including Declarations of Rights, the same year the nation was born.