Last week, we investigated whether the lag time from the end of briefing, including amicus and supplemental briefing, to oral argument suggests the likeliest result – in other words, do affirmances or reversals consistently take longer?

In Table 1160, we report the lag times from end of party briefing to oral argument, divided by civil affirmances, reversals and split decisions – partial affirmances, partial reversals.

In 1990, civil affirmances averaged 309 days from end of party briefing to oral argument. Civil reversals averaged 338.6 days. Split decisions – partial affirmance, partial reversals (a very small database in any particular year) averaged 424.14 days. For the entire decade, affirmances took longer in five years (1991, 1993, 1995, 1998 and 1999), reversals took longer in two years (1994 and 1996) and split decisions took longer three times (1990, 1992 and 1997).

Between 2000 and 2009, affirmances took longer in three years (2000, 2004 and 2005), reversals took longer in three years (2002, 2003 and 2007) and split decisions took longer in four years (2001, 2006, 2008 and 2009).

Over the past decade, affirmances took longer in three years (2010, 2013 and 2014), reversals took longer in two years (2015, 2016) and split decisions took longer five times (2011, 2012, 2017, 2018 and 2019).

Join us back here later this week as we turn our attention to the criminal docket data.

Image courtesy of Flickr by Jennifer Morrow (no changes).