SAN FRANCISCO — For the first time since the Supreme Court dismantled the Wal-Mart employment discrimination class, plaintiff and defense attorneys appeared in court today ready to argue about how the case should now proceed.

But Judge Charles Breyer wasn’t interested in diving into the divisive issues, which include the size of any new class and where new suits should be filed. Breyer’s focus was on nailing down a date for an extension of the statute of limitations for the case in the Northern District.