North Carolina's highest court is holding a "legal party" to observe the anniversary of its first meeting 200 years ago this month.

The state Supreme Court scheduled a special session Monday in its downtown Raleigh courtroom to celebrate the court's bicentennial.

The General Assembly created the court in 1818 and appointed a chief justice and two judges. The court met the first time in January 1819.

The court was formalized permanently in the 1868 state constitution and now has seven justices, each elected in statewide elections to serve eight-year terms. The chief justice is also head of the state's judicial branch.

The bicentennial is the latest in recently observed anniversaries by the court system, including the 50th anniversary of the Court of Appeals in 2017.