Supreme Court Open to Oil Industry’s Stance in Climate Case (1)

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared open to the oil industry’s arguments in a high-stakes procedural spat that will set the course for climate litigation across the country.

The closely watched climate case, BP Plc v. Mayor & City Council of Baltimore, centers on a technical question: What’s the proper scope of appellate review in certain disputes over federal-versus-state court venue? The outcome will affect more than a dozen other high-stakes cases pending across the country.

“I think this is a close call, this case,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh said midway through Tuesday’s arguments.

Kavanaugh and others expressed concern that oil ...