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Today, we continue our analysis of the areas of law involved in the California Supreme Court’s docket with a look at the civil docket between 2005 and 2007.

Tort law was down somewhat from 2004 to 2005, amounting to only 14% of the civil docket.  The Court heard six cases each – 12% of the civil docket – in three areas of law: constitutional law, civil procedure and insurance.  This represented a slight decline for constitutional law, but a sharp increase in the concentration of insurance law cases.  Government and administrative law was down by one third from 2004, accounting for ten percent of the docket.  Employment law was up significantly, also contributing ten percent of the docket.  The Court heard four cases each in domestic relations and arbitration law – eight percent of the civil docket. Finally, environmental law accounted for four percent of the docket, and the Court heard one case each in consumer law, workers’ compensation, property law and secured transactions.

Table 58

2006 was an unusual year for the Court’s civil docket.  Government and administrative law, generally first or second on the Court’s civil docket, had the biggest single share of the docket at 16.13%, but the Court heard nine cases involving questions of consumer law – 14.52% of the docket.  Tort, employment and civil procedure were next, accounting for 9.68% of the docket apiece.  Constitutional law, insurance law and tax law contributed four cases each – 6.45% of the civil docket. The Court decided two cases apiece in construction law, domestic relations, commercial law, wills and estates and environmental law.   Finally, the Court decided one case apiece in arbitration, property and election law.

Table 59

The data for 2007 is reported in Table 60 below.  Tort law returned to its usual spot at the top of the docket with 17.19% of the cases.  Government and administrative law was right behind, contributing ten cases for 15.63% of the docket.  Consumer law remained common on the Court’s docket, producing 14.06% of the Court’s civil docket.  The Court decided eight cases each in constitutional law and civil procedure – 12.5% of the docket.  Employment law was next, accounting for 7.81% of the caseload, followed by arbitration law with 4.69% of the cases.  The Court decided two cases each in domestic relations, workers’ compensation, commercial law and environmental law.  Finally, the Court heard one case each in insurance and tax law.

Table 60

Join us back here tomorrow as we turn our attention to the Court’s civil docket in 2008 and 2009.

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