Disputes over Software, Census Top the Agenda in Key Week for Court Hotly Contested Cases Expected to Further Polarize Justices

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THE first Supreme Court session of 1996 opens today with a week of cases more compelling than usual for this term.

For the next three days, the court hears arguments on subjects ranging from computer software, to congressional powers, to a bitter dispute over how US census figures are arrived at - a case that may be one of the more significant of the year.

Tuesday, the Rodney King beating incident rises yet again. The court will hear arguments on whether the two police officers convicted in 1993 of violating Mr. King's civil rights received punishments that were too light.

Also, adding weight to the term, the court agreed Friday to take an important …