Hot Bench: Speaking Time and Opinion Writing at the Federal Circuit

"Chief Judge Kimberly Moore leads the court with a median speaking time of 4.51 minutes per argument. Judge Taranto follows closely at 4.31. At the other end of the spectrum, Judge Lourie speaks for a median of just 0.86 minutes, and the newest member, Judge Cunningham for 0.92 minutes. That is a fivefold difference between the most and least talkative members of the court."

"Oral argument at the Federal Circuit typically lasts 30 minutes. But the judges on the panel do not divide that time equally among themselves. I used a sample of 1000+ Federal Circuit oral arguments and found some big differences among the judges."

Federal Circuit oral arguments typically last 30 minutes. Judges on argument panels do not divide the 30-minute time equally. A sample of more than 1,000 Federal Circuit oral arguments reveals substantial variation in median speaking time per judge. Chief Judge Kimberly Moore records the highest median speaking time at 4.51 minutes per argument. Judge Taranto follows at 4.31 minutes. Judge Lourie’s median is approximately 0.86 minutes, and Judge Cunningham’s median is about 0.92 minutes. The disparity between the most and least talkative judges amounts to roughly a fivefold difference in median speaking time.

Read at Patently-O