With artifacts, images, and text (and some case notes that will likely make you think), we celebrate 200 years of law and justice with this temporary exhibit that explores the history of the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

The Court’s story unfolds on the walls of the exhibit and reveals the accounts of courageous men and women who resolved the essential legal issues of their day — the death penalty, crime and punishment, and the institution of slavery.

Who were the personalities that shaped North Carolina’s highest court, and what were the circumstances that shaped North Carolina’s body of laws? How does a court case move through the North Carolina system to reach the Supreme Court? How have the law and the Court evolved and adapted to a changing society? Law and Justice: The Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1819–2019 answers these questions and more.

The exhibit is a collaboration of the North Carolina Museum of History, the North Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society, and the North Carolina Judicial Branch.