Legal Definitions - South Eastern Reporter

The South Eastern Reporter is a specialized collection of legal books that publishes the official written decisions from appellate courts in several states across the southeastern United States. It is a key component of the National Reporter System, a comprehensive system for publishing court opinions.

This reporter specifically covers appellate court decisions from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. It includes cases dating back to 1887 and continues to publish new decisions as they are released. The collection is divided into two main series: the first series (abbreviated as S.E.) covers decisions from 1887 to 1939, and the second series (abbreviated as S.E.2d) contains all decisions from 1939 to the present day. Legal professionals use the South Eastern Reporter to find and cite binding legal precedent and persuasive authority from these states.

Here are some examples of how the South Eastern Reporter is used:

• Lawyer Research for a Property Dispute: A lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia, is preparing a brief for a client involved in a complex property dispute. To strengthen their argument, the lawyer needs to find similar cases where appellate courts in Georgia, or even neighboring states like South Carolina or Virginia, have ruled on comparable property issues. They would consult the South Eastern Reporter to locate these past decisions, analyze their reasoning, and cite them as legal precedent to support their client's position.

• Law Student Studying Tort Law: A law student at the University of Richmond in Virginia is writing a research paper on the evolution of tort law in the region. To understand how appellate courts in Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina have interpreted specific tort concepts over time, the student would use the South Eastern Reporter. They would search through both the first and second series to trace the development of legal principles through various court opinions published within this collection.

• Judge Seeking Guidance on Novel Contract Law: A trial court judge in Charleston, South Carolina, is presiding over a case involving a novel point of contract law for which there isn't clear, direct precedent within South Carolina's own appellate decisions. While not binding, decisions from appellate courts in neighboring states like Georgia or North Carolina can offer persuasive guidance. The judge might direct their law clerk to research opinions in the South Eastern Reporter to see how other courts in the same regional system have addressed similar contractual ambiguities, helping them to formulate a well-reasoned ruling.