This week, the Texas Supreme Court has its first oral-argument sitting of the new year. The Court is scheduled to hear nine arguments:

Tuesday 1-15-2008, 9:00 am

• Southwestern Bell Telephone, L.P. v. Harris County Toll Road Authority, No. 06-0933
• State Farm Lloyds v. Johnson, No. 06-1071
• Galveston Central Appraisal District v. TRQ Captain’s Landing, No. 07-0010

Wednesday 1-16-2008, 9:00 am

• Bison Building Materials, Ltd. v. Aldridge, No. 06-1084
• In re GlobalSantaFe Corp., No. 07-0040
• East Texas Salt Water Disposal Co. v. Werline, No. 07-0135

Thursday 1-17-2008, 9:00 am

• Columbia Rio Grande Healthcare, L.P. v. Hamley, No. 06-0372
• In re Gulf Exploration, LLC, No. 07-0055
• Trammell Crow Central Texas, Ltd. v. Guttierez, No. 07-0091

The summaries of each case prepared by the Court’s Staff Attorney for Public Information, Osler McCarthy, are available at this page hosted by St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Editorial note: Because the Court already provides those useful issue summaries, the blog will take a somewhat different approach. Only rarely will the blog provide a detailed write-up on the eve of argument. Instead, in cases where the oral argument turns out to be particularly interesting, the blog will recap and analyze what took place.

Texas Supreme Court arguments are open to the public and a video feed is simulcast through an arrangement with St. Mary’s. The Court’s website will later provide an audio-only version for download.

Today, the Court will hold its first scheduled private conference of 2008. Any petitions granted or other dispositions should be noted on Friday’s weekly order list.

The first oral arguments of the year are scheduled for January 15th, which is next Tuesday.

This looks to be another slow holiday week at the Court. The Court’s public calendar indicates that it is open today but will be closed tomorrow in observance of New Year’s Day. Interestingly, the calendar also shows there will be no regularly scheduled orders this Friday, January 4th — one of the very few Fridays in the year without an order list. And no oral arguments are scheduled at the Court until January 15, 2008. ((It’s very possible that the Court might issue a batch of special orders today to beat the new year, and it’s at least as possible that they might issue orders on Friday. In either event, I will keep you posted.))

As 2007 ends, I also want to thank you for reading this blog. Launching the blog has been more enjoyable than I expected, and I’m really looking forward to covering the Court as its docket gets more active in the spring. In addition, I am working on some new features that I hope will be useful to you in your practice before the Court and other Texas courts. Thanks again, and Happy New Year!

The Court’s public calendar shows it to be observing the state holidays on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. ((The blog is also observing Christmas this week. There will be few or no additional postings between now and next week. I’d like to say that’s purely my own self-restraint, but it’s also a lack of internet access where I’m spending the holiday. This posting, if you’re wondering, was scheduled in advance.)) The calendar also indicates that the regular weekly order list will be issued on Friday, December 28th.At some point this week or next Monday, the Court should issue its formal order carrying the pending cases on its docket forward to its 2008 Term. ((A footnote for avid docket-watchers only: Although the state fiscal year runs from September 1st to the end of August, the Court’s term coincides with the calendar year. Texas Supreme Court practice thus diverges slightly from the U.S Supreme Court, which has a court term running from October 1st through the end of September (matching the federal fiscal year). A U.S. Supreme Court petition filed in February of next year will get a docket number beginning with “07-“, while a Texas Supreme Court petition filed the same day would get a docket number beginning with “08-“.))No oral arguments are scheduled until January 15, 2008.

On Monday, the Court has its last scheduled private conference for 2007. Any petitions granted or denied, opinions finalized, or motions disposed at that conference should be reflected on the order list to be issued Friday, December 21st.

Although the Court is also scheduled to issue orders next week on December 28th, the short holiday week might make this week the last real opportunity for the Court to issue opinions this year.

No oral arguments are scheduled until January 15, 2008.

The Court’s calendar shows a private conference scheduled for Monday and (if necessary) Tuesday. Any petitions granted or denied, opinions finalized, or motions disposed at that conference should be reflected on the orders scheduled to be released Friday, December 14th.

No oral arguments are scheduled until January 15, 2008.