Musgrove argued on behalf of the state this morning when the Mississippi Supreme Court heard oral arguments in State of Mississippi v. Bayer Corporation, a (surprisingly interesting) pure civil-procedure dispute wrapped in a Medicaid settlement. Apprising an advocate's persuasiveness is a little like judging a boxer's punching power -- folks sitting in the audience really aren't in the best position to make the call. But from the point of view offered by the peanut gallery, Musgrove looked great. He was impassioned but deferential, appeared to weave the justices' questions back into his argument very well, and balanced the questions of pure law with policy considerations supporting his position. His suit didn't look bad, either.

None of this is to say that he sealed the deal for his client, of course. Without naming any names, I can tell you that bad oral advocates win cases all the time. But a law school professor once told me that, while you probably can't pick up any votes on oral argument, you can definitely lose votes on oral argument. I'd be surprised if Musgrove lost any today.