Paralegals are professionals who assist attorneys with research, document drafting, case management, trial preparation–pretty much every aspect of legal practice.
Some paralegal programs result in a two-year associate’s degree. Others last only a few months and are intended for people who already have a four-year degree.
Below are some helpful resources.
- Paralegal schools in North Carolina – This list doesn’t include Wake Technical Community College, which launched its paralegal program in 2022.
- Certification – Paralegals can be certified by the North Carolina State Bar.
- North Carolina Paralegal Association
- National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA)
Homeowner associations (HOAs) are organizations that oversee and enforce the rules for living in certain houses, condominiums, or other homes. You join an HOA and agree to its terms and fees when you buy a home in a community governed by one.
In North Carolina, HOAs are governed by a few statutes:
- North Carolina Planned Community Act
- North Carolina Condominium Act
- North Carolina Unit Ownership Act
- North Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act (because every HOA must be incorporated as a nonprofit)
HOAs are not regulated by any state or federal government office, so if you have a dispute with your HOA, the best thing to do is consult with an attorney.
If you simply want more information about how HOAs operate, here are some resources that may help:
- Homeowners Protection Bureau – A nonprofit organization that answers HOA questions
- NC Real Estate Commission
- North Carolina chapter of the Community Associations Institute
- HOA FAQs – An extensive list of HOA-related questions and answers
Finally, according to the North Carolina Secretary of State, “sometimes there are local government ordinances that may apply to HOAs.” Thus, you could try contacting your mayor and/or city or county commissioner to discuss your concern.
We, the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for the preservation of the American Union and the existence of our civil, political and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those blessings to us and our posterity, do, for the more certain security thereof and for the better government of this State, ordain and establish this Constitution.
That’s the preamble to the North Carolina Constitution, which, in its current form, was written in 1971. North Carolina, of course, has had a constitution much longer than that.
When was the first one written?
What did it include?
How many times has it been amended?
You can find these and more answers in our new North Carolina Constitution infographic!
We have other guides and infographics on different topics, such as how to do a legislative history and how to request committee audio from the library. Check out all our guides here!
How about a legislative Throwback Thursday? Check out this 1963 effort of the short-lived North Carolina Film Board.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge William Osteen ruled that, in light of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, North Carolina’s statute forbidding abortions after 20 weeks (N.C.G.S. 14-45.1) is not unconstitutional. In other words, the 20-week ban can be enforced.
Judge Osteen’s ruling is available here.
Responses by Governor Cooper, House Speaker Tim Moore, and other elected officials are here.
Curious about other states’ abortion laws? We have a blog entry on that topic.
Looking for legal help on this or any other subject? Check out this list of free or low-cost resources.
A frequent request we get at the Legislative Library is for a certified copy of a statute, session law, or other document. This means a document whose contents can be relied upon as truly and genuinely created by a North Carolina agency.
Some documents we can certify, and some we can’t. Here are the best contacts for document certification.
GENERAL STATUTES
The General Assembly passes bills into law. These are called session laws. The session laws that are public laws–i.e., they apply to everyone in North Carolina–are then integrated into the General Statutes, which consist of the general and permanent laws enacted by the General Assembly.
Anyone needing a certified copy of a statute (not a session law) should contact the Legislative Drafting Division of the General Assembly at 919-733-6660.
SESSION LAWS OR RATIFIED BILLS
After a bill is ratified–i.e., the General Assembly passes it and the Governor signs it–that bill becomes a session law. These original signed documents are then transmitted to the North Carolina Secretary of State.
Anyone needing a certified copy of a ratified bill or session law (not a statute) should contact the Secretary of State at 919-814-5400.
NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION
The Secretary of State is also the statutory custodian of the North Carolina Constitution.
Anyone needing a certified copy of the Constitution should contact the Secretary of State at 919-814-5400.
COMMITTEE MINUTES
The official record of a legislative committee meeting is that meeting’s written minutes. The minutes from 1997 forward can be found here. Older minutes (back to the early 1970s) are available on microfilm in the Legislative Library.
Anyone who comes to the library to locate minutes on microfilm can ask for a certification of those minutes from a librarian.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
These are orders issued by the Governor of North Carolina. They do not come from the General Assembly.
Anyone needing a certified copy of an executive order should contact the Governor’s office at 919-814-2000.
Most people know that, on June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the case that had made abortion legal nationwide since 1973. Under the new ruling (which you can read here), individual states can decide whether to make abortion legal or illegal.
What, then, is the legal status of abortion in each state?
The New York Times is tracking that question here, with a series of maps and charts. It will update this page as states’ laws change. Another source for this information is this state-by-state guide.
If you’re curious about the status of abortion worldwide, check out this page from the Center for Reproductive Rights.
At the intersection of Wilmington and Jones Streets sits a handsome white building. It looks like this.
Inside that building is the Government & Heritage Library, which is part of the State Library of North Carolina. The GHL Library has thousands of books you can check out plus dozens of databases you can use from home. And it’s all free!
What do you need to access these materials? A GHL Library card.
Just fill out this form, and you’ll get your card number via email. This is all you need to access the databases. If you want the physical card, you can pick it up at the handsome white building at Wilmington and Jones.
For more information, click here or contact the Library at 919-814-6790 or slnc.reference@ncdcr.gov.
In the last day or two, you may have read headlines like the following:
N.C. Senate Passes Medical Cannabis Legislation
Those who follow this issue know it’s been a long, winding road. Does this headline mean the journey is over? Is medical marijuana now legal in the Tar Heel State?
No. The journey is only half over. S.711, known as the Compassionate Care Act, still has to pass the NC House of Representatives, which will probably make changes to the bill. It would then need to go back to the Senate to agree with the changes. If the Senate makes further changes, then it would go back to the House . . . you get the idea.
Bottom line: medical cannabis in NC is not dead. But it is not yet legal. You can track the bill through every step on the General Assembly website or the UNC School of Government Reporting Service.
Curious about other states’ medical marijuana laws? This page from the National Conference of State Legislatures can help.
How about a federal law? The United States House of Representatives recently passed this bill. It will have to be passed by the U.S. Senate and signed by President Biden to become law.
By now, most people have heard about the horrible shootings in Buffalo, New York and Uvalde, Texas. Both shooters were 18 years old and had acquired their guns legally.
This raises the question: what is the minimum age for owning a gun in North Carolina?
Long Guns
There is no NC statute specifically addressing so-called long guns–rifles, carbines, shotguns, etc. Instead, the minimum age for purchase is set by federal law (18 USC Chapter 44) at 18 years.
Pistols/Handguns
Two NC statutes govern the issue of minors and handguns.
Other Resources
Gun Laws (Findlaw)
Federal Firearms Laws (Congressional Research Service)
NY State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (an ongoing U.S. Supreme Court case that could change gun laws nationwide)