Title page images are screen shots from Government and Heritage Library's digital collection of North Carolina Reports
North Carolina Reports is the official publication of the North Carolina Supreme Court opinions. The first volume dates back to 1778. Earliest reports are from the “Court of Conference” which was North Carolina’s first higher court. Judges from North Carolina’s six judicial districts met twice a year to review their cases. In 1805 the state renamed it “Supreme Court” but it was not authorized to hear appeals until 1810. In 1818, the General Assembly made the North Carolina Supreme Court its own court and its members no longer presided at the trial of cases. A tribune of three justices were elected by the legislature and held court twice a year, hearing cases from the Superior Court. In the early years of the court the terms “Supreme Court” and “Superior Court” were used interchangeably and is often reflected in the early Reports. The North Carolina Supreme Court now has a chief justice and six associate justices who sit together as a panel in Raleigh.
The Government and Heritage Library has the North Carolina Reports in both the print and digital collections.
Print NC Supreme Court opinions: 1778-present
(This is the catalog record for the collection of North Carolina Reports in the State Library's documents collection.)
Digital NC Supreme Court opinions: 1778-present
This links to the complete digital collection of all volumes (Vol. 1 - most recent) of North Carolina Reports.
The original early volumes of North Carolina Reports were not given consecutive volume numbers as they are today. They were referred to by the name of the person who wrote the report of the opinions. A detailed explanation can be found in Volume 1.