According to an analysis by Kenzie Rakes at her new blog www.ncappellatestats.com, about one-in-seven, or 14%, of cases in the North Carolina Court of Appeals were orally argued in 2015.

That may seem like a low number, but remember that the denominator of that fraction includes pro se cases and others that would not make for a productive in-person discussion of the issues.  Cases presenting issues of first impression or appeals involving competing lines of authority are still, in my experience, awarded oral argument at a much higher rate.  And remember–if your case is “30(f)’d,” you can always move the court to change course and allow oral argument.

We look forward to reading more statistical analyses from Kenzie!

–Matt Leerberg