Here is an estimate of the total number of hours all lawyers spend in courts across the United States compared to the number of hours for all government officials who would fall under the proposed Public Integrity Commission (PIC). These estimates involve using available data and making reasonable assumptions. The estimate considers members of Congress, high-profile public officials such as the President, cabinet members, agency heads, and possibly federal judges. Here's how we can approach this:
- 1) Estimating Total Lawyer Court Hours
- a) Assumptions:
- i) There are approximately 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S. (according to the American Bar Association).
- ii) Not all lawyers appear in court; many work in transactional roles, corporate law, etc. Assume that about 30%of lawyers engage in litigation or court-related practice regularly (~390,000 lawyers).
- iii) On average, assume each lawyer spends about 15 hours per month in court. This accounts for varying practices, including busy trial attorneys and lawyers who only occasionally appear in court.
- b) Calculation:
- i) Total lawyer court hours per month = 390,000 lawyers × 15 hours/month
- ii) Total = 5,850,000 hours/month
- 2) Estimating Media Hours for All Federal Officials under PIC Jurisdiction
- a) Categories of Officials: Assuming the PIC would monitor all significant public officials, including:
- i) Congress: 535 members
- ii) Cabinet members and agency heads: ~25 (including key department heads and advisors)
- iii) Federal judges: ~1,770 (this includes approximately 870 district court judges, 180 appellate judges, and 9 Supreme Court Justices, plus senior judges)
- iv) Other senior officials: ~50 (includes heads of major federal agencies like the FBI, CIA, EPA, etc.)
- b) This results in an estimated total of about 2,380 federal officials potentially subject to PIC monitoring.
- c) Assumptions for Monthly Media Engagement: Each group varies in its level of media engagement, so we’ll break down the assumed monthly media hours per group:
- i) Members of Congress (535 members): Averaging 10 hours/month per member for media appearances.
- (1) Total Congressional media hours = 535 × 10 = 5,350 hours
- ii) Cabinet Members and Agency Heads (25 members): These figures can vary widely, especially for high-profile departments like Defense, State, and Justice. Assume an average of 20 hours/month for each.
- (1) Total = 25 × 20 = 500 hours
- iii) Federal Judges (1,770 judges): Federal judges generally avoid media interactions to maintain impartiality, but public addresses, speeches, and occasional media appearances happen. Assume an average of 0.5 hours/month for each.
- (1) Total = 1,770 × 0.5 = 885 hours
- iv) Other Senior Officials (50 heads of major agencies): These roles often involve public briefings, especially during crises or policy announcements. Assume an average of 10 hours/month for each.
- (1) Total = 50 × 10 = 500 hours
- 3) Total Media Hours for All Government Officials under PIC Jurisdiction: Adding up these estimates:
- a) Congressional media hours: 5,350 hours
- b) Cabinet members and agency heads: 500 hours
- c) Federal judges: 885 hours
- d) Other senior officials: 500 hours
- 4) Total media hours per month = 7,235 hours
- 5) Summary Comparison
- a) Lawyer court hours per month: Approximately 5,850,000 hours
- b) Media hours for government officials per month: Approximately 7,235 hours
Observations
The time lawyers spend in court each month far exceeds the time that monitored government officials spend in media appearances. This comparison highlights the vastly greater volume of courtroom work compared to public media engagement for government accountability. This gap underscores the difference in the nature and quantity of accountability touchpoints between the legal field and public service roles, possibly supporting the rationale for dedicated oversight mechanisms like the PIC.