Wake County Clerk of Court Lorrin Freeman said with more than 300,000 cases a year at the courthouse sufficient, office supplies are a necessity.

"The courts -- as many state agencies -- have been told they would have to reduce their budget," Freeman said. "We were notified supplies would be distributed on a limited basis."

But when members of the Wake County Bar Association heard there was a shortage, they came together for a supply drive during their monthly meeting. They collected everything from pens and paper to CDs to record information.

"We heard stories of judges who like to take notes when they're at hearings and they don't have paper available," bar member Eric Stevens said.

Freeman said not having simple supplies just adds to the many challenges within the courthouse during the hard economic times.

"During this budget crisis, it has been difficult to keep morale up among my employees and others, and this goes a long way and shows people do understand the important role the court plays," Freeman said.

"It's very important to keep the court system going. If they can't work for lack of a pen, that's ridiculous," Clelia Fry, an attorney who made a donation, said.

Organizers said although the main drive was yesterday and today, people can still drop items off at the courthouse.

"We're hoping to get them through a long period of time without having to ration supplies," Stevens said.

The bar association plans to have the supplies in the hands of court employees in the next few days. Along with the supplies, the bar association also raised more than $2500.

The Conference of Clerks of Court and other groups within the court system are working to get more money from the state for supplies.