The Court did not issue any opinions with today’s orders list. It did bring back one previously abated case to its docket, the Bison Building Materials arbitration case. (( I’ve written about it before, but it may mean less after the Court has spoken to Hall Street in the NAFTA Traders case. ))

The Court’s statistical year runs from September through August, so last week’s opinions were a year-end burst of activity.

How many argued cases are left to be decided?

Fewer than you may think. After combing through the numbers, I found four (yes, only four) argued cases that had not been decided by August 31st. That count excludes abated cases (such as Severance, which was abated to let the Fifth Circuit address mootness). This week, the Court returned the abated Bison Building Materials to its active docket. So that makes five:

  • Bison Building Materials, Ltd. v. Lloyd K. Aldridge, No. 06-1084 (argued Jan. 16, 2008). Just reinstated to the docket today.

  • City of Dallas v. David S. Martin & George W. Parker, et al., No. 07-0288 (argued Dec. 17, 2009).

  • The Edwards Aquifer Authority and the State of Texas v. Burrell Day and Joel McDaniel, No. 08-0964 (argued Feb. 17, 2010).

  • Sharyland Water Supply Corporation v. City of Alton, Carter & Burgess, Inc., Cris Equipment Company and Turner, Collie & Braden, Inc., No. 09-0223 (argued Mar. 24, 2010)

  • Vernon F. Minton V. Jerry W. Gunn, individually, Williams Squire & Wren, LLP, James E. Wren, individually, Slusser & Frost, L.L.P., William C. Slusser, individually, Slusser Wilson & Partridge, L.L.P. and Michael E. Wilson, individually, No. 10-0141 (argued Mar. 1, 2011)

By this count, there was only one case argued last year that has not yet been decided (and it was argued just six months ago).