Quiet Time? Oral Arguments Disappear in Federal Appeals Courts

That's the title of today's NLJ article here, which explains that twenty years ago, 40% of appeals were argued in the federal appellate courts; ten years ago, that figure dropped to 27% and today the figure is 20%. There are, of course, difference between Circuits: The 7th Circuit hears 55% and the D.C. Circuit hears 45% But the 3d, 4th, and 11th Circuits hear less than 15% of cases.
The AAAL's report on this tragedy is Wither Oral Argument? The American Academy of Appellate Lawyers Say Let's Resurrect It!