With today’s orders list, the Court did not issue any opinions.

The Court did announce an argument date for State Office of Risk Management v. Christy Carty, individually and as Next Friend For B.C., J.C. and M.C...., No. 13-0639 , a certified question from the Fifth Circuit about how to allocate certain recoveries in a workers compensation case.

The Court accepted the certified question in August 2013, which as a practical matter meant that it would later be set for oral argument. Now that the case has been fully briefed, it will be heard on February 5, 2014.

Reading tea leaves

As I write this, there are four cases set to be argued in the early February sitting (compared to 9 in the just-completed January sitting). The Court does have a private conference early next week. We may see some grants from that conference made public Tuesday or Wednesday.1


  1. Today’s order setting a February 5, 2014 argument date gave 26 days notice. A grant made next Friday would give just 19 days notice, which while permissible in the Texas Supreme Court, is not the norm.