The Fair Defense Act, SB-7, requires that pay schedules established for the payment of court appointed attorneys must take into consideration the overhead expenses associated with such a practice. In the fall of 1995, the State Bar gathered information on overhead expenses associated with the practice of criminal law and, even though that information is now almost six years old, it is still the only empirical data on this subject that has been collected on a state-wide basis.
In this work, the committee surveyed approximately one half of the lawyers in the State identified as practicing criminal law on a regular basis.(1) This amounted to a random sample of 3,000 attorneys, of whom 1,376, or 46 percent, returned usable responses to the questionnaires. This result was more than sufficient to allow confidence in the data. Importantly for SB-7 consideration, one of the questions asked
What is your approximate total monthly overhead? (By "overhead" we mean your expenses in the following areas: associate and staff salaries and benefits, rent or mortgage, utilities, vehicle parking, equipment expenses, reference materials, travel expenses, malpractice insurance, and client development).
A total of 1,051 people answered this question. The statewide average overhead was reported at $6,119.82 (standard deviation = 13,003.90) with a median of $3,500.00. The tables below provide the overhead data for each administrative judicial region and for each county. For some counties, the number of returned surveys is quite substantial (e.g., Dallas (124), Fort Bend (35), Harris (200), etc.), therefore, the results can be seen as quite reliable. However, for counties with few returned surveys, caution should be used in interpreting the results.(2) In these cases, it may be best to rely on the data from the administrative judicial region which provide a larger grouping of survey results. Finally, there are a few counties (n= 40) where no useable survey information was returned.
For each administrative judicial region and each county, we report the number of responses (N), median, mean (average) and standard deviation. The median is the middle number. In other words, fifty percent of the responses from that county or administrative region were higher than that number, and fifty percent of the responses were lower. The mean is the "average" of the responses (the sum of the responses divided by the number of responses). The mean is sensitive to extreme or unusual scores (think back to your average grade from class tests and how one really bad grade could affect it), and so under some circumstances the median may give you a better feel for the data. The standard deviation seeks to show the distribution of the responses. In a normal, or "bell curve" distribution, approximately 67 percent of the responses fall within plus or minus one standard deviation from the mean (that is, two-thirds of all responses fall between one standard deviation above the mean and one standard deviation below the mean.) The smaller the standard deviation is relative to the mean, the more tightly clustered the data around the mean and the more confidence you can have that the mean is representative of the "typical" case.
We hope that this information is helpful to you. If you have any questions or wish further information, please call the committee staff at 1-800-204-2222, extension 2195.
Overhead for Administrative Judicial Regions
|
County |
Mean
(standard deviation) |
Median |
N |
| Administrative
Region 1 |
$6849.65
(10284.36) |
$4000.00 | 215 |
| Administrative Region 2 | $5723.85
(11908.11) |
$3000.00 | 303 |
| Administrative Region 3 | $5372.01
(6275.32) |
$3400.00 | 136 |
| Administrative Region 4 | $5124.86
(9078.44) |
$2700.00 | 175 |
| Administrative Region 5 | $11527.51
(45210.09) |
$4000.00 | 43 |
| Administrative Region 6 | $4759.86
(3909.27) |
$3500.00 | 71 |
| Administrative Region 7 | $5486.54
(4000.00) |
$4979.92 | 52 |
| Administrative Region 8 | $7230.83
(10258.06) |
$4500.00 | 133 |
| Administrative Region 9 | $7234.62
(8699.26) |
$4500.00 | 52 |
Source: State Bar of Texas Committee on Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Survey of Criminal Defense Attorneys, 1995.
Overhead of Texas Counties
|
County |
Mean
(standard deviation) |
Median |
N |
Administrative Judicial Region |
| Anderson | $10571.43
(18813.62) |
$5000.00 | 7 | 1 |
| Andrews | $9333.33
(1154.70) |
$10000.00 | 3 | 7 |
| Angelina | $7250.00
(2752.27) |
$8000.00 | 6 | 2 |
| Aransas | $5500.00
(3415.65) |
$5000.00 | 4 | 4 |
| Archer | $3040.00
(610.74) |
$3300.00 | 5 | 8 |
| Armstrong | _________________ | _________ | _______ | 9 |
| Atascosa | $1871.43
(1396.08) |
$1500.00 | 7 | 4 |
| Austin | $4028.80
(2432.11) |
$3000.00 | 5 | 3 |
| Bailey | $5000.00 | $5000.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Bandera | $9428.57
(7429.83) |
$7000.00 | 7 | 6 |
| Bastrop | $4218.75
(3054.38) |
$3500.00 | 8 | 2 |
| Baylor | --------------------------- | ---------------- | --- | 9 |
| Bee | $5266.67
(2761.64) |
$4300.00 | 6 | 4 |
| Bell | $7938.89
(7064.43) |
$5000.00 | 9 | 3 |
| Bexar | $4713.67
(9442.38) |
$2400.00 | 128 | 4 |
| Blanco | $2900.00
(400.00) |
$2900.00 | 3 | 3 |
| Borden | -------------------------- | ---------------- | ----------- | 7 |
| Bosque | $7700.00
(7096.88) |
$4500.00 | 8 | 3 |
| Bowie | $6250.00
(5125.91) |
$3750.00 | 6 | 1 |
| Brazoria | $5718.75
(6254.73) |
$2900.00 | 16 | 2 |
| Brazos | $3915.38
(3227.45) |
$3500.00 | 13 | 2 |
| Brewster | $1900.00
(1141.42) |
$1900.00 | 2 | 26 |
| Briscoe | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Brooks | $3500.00
(1802.78) |
$4000.00 | 3 | 5 |
| Brown | $10000.00 | $10000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Burleson | $5328.89
(3588.04) |
$5160.00 | 9 | 2 |
| Burnet | $2500.00 | $2500.00 | 1 | 3 |
| Caldwell | $3792.86
(3153.89) |
$3000.00 | 7 | 3 |
| Calhoun | $9200.00
(9093.95) |
$6000.00 | 5 | 4 |
| Callahan | $3378.57
(1848.84) |
$3000.00 | 7 | 7 |
| Cameron | $30919.42
(84821.53) |
$6166.50 | 12 | 5 |
| Camp | ---------------------------- | --------------- | ------------ | 1 |
| Carson | --------------------------- | --------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Cass | $6900.00
(5435.99) |
$4000.00 | 5 | 1 |
| Castro | $15900.00
(19940.41) |
$15900.00 | 2 | 9 |
| Chambers | $3921.43
(5341.81) |
$1000.00 | 7 | 2 |
| Cherokee | $7944.44
(8622.08) |
$6000.00 | 9 | 1 |
| Childress | $10000.00 | $10000.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Clay | $3233.33
(207.17) |
$3300.00 | 3 | 8 |
| Cochran | $10000.00 | $10000.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Coke | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Coleman | $3000.00 | $3000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Collin | $6353.13
(7876.26) |
$3900.00 | 32 | 1 |
| Collingsworth | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Colorado | $5214.67
(703.03) |
$5000.00 | 3 | 3 |
| Comal | $3014.29
(1662.30) |
$2500.00 | 14 | 3 |
| Comanche | $9500.00
(7778.17) |
$9500.00 | 2 | 3 |
| Concho | $2900.00
(1553.63) |
$2900.00 | 2 | 7 |
| Cooke | $8666.67
(9865.77) |
$4000.00 | 3 | 8 |
| Coryell | $3908.33
(1834.78) |
$3425.00 | 6 | 3 |
| Cottle | --------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Crane | $5000.00 | $5000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Crockett | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 6 |
| Crosby | $1500.00 | $1500.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Culberson | $4875.00
(1590.99) |
$4875.00 | 2 | 6 |
| Dallam | $3500.00 | $3500.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Dallas | $6369.15
(10192.42) |
$4000.00 | 124 | 1 |
| Dawson | $2000.00 | $2000.007 | 1 | 7 |
| DeWitt | $4750.00
(4596.19) |
$4750.00 | 2 | 4 |
| Deaf Smith | $6000.00 | $6000.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Delta | $2000.00
(1414.21) |
$2000.00 | 2 | 1 |
| Denton | $10642.86
(20084.53) |
$2750.00 | 28 | 8 |
| Dickens | $8000.00 | $8000.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Dimmit | $4150.00
(1670.33) |
$3750.00 | 4 | 4 |
| Donley | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Duval | $5000.00
(0.00) |
$5000.00 | 2 | 5 |
| Eastland | $3500.00
(2121.32) |
$3500.00 | 2 | 8 |
| Ector | $6977.78
(4218.42) |
$5000.00 | 9 | 7 |
| Edwards | $6000.00
(3464.10) |
$4000.00 | 3 | 6 |
| El Paso | $4292.19
(2917.61) |
$3000.00 | 32 | 6 |
| Ellis | $9500.00
(5656.85) |
$8750.00 | 6 | 1 |
| Erath | $6500.00
(5958.19) |
$4750.00 | 4 | 8 |
| Falls | $4166.67
(3329.16) |
$2500.00 | 3 | 3 |
| Fannin | $6533.33
(5024.69) |
$6000.00 | 9 | 1 |
| Fayette | $7250.00
(3181.98) |
$7250.00 | 2 | 3 |
| Fisher | $3000.00 | $3000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Floyd | $4600.00
(4808.33) |
$4600.00 | 2 | 9 |
| Foard | $8333.33
(4725.82) |
$10000.00 | 3 | 9 |
| Fort Bend | $4648.57
(5299.34) |
$3000.00 | 35 | 2 |
| Franklin | $4000.00
(1414.21) |
$4000.00 | 2 | 1 |
| Freestone | $3700.00
(2539.69) |
$5000.00 | 5 | 2 |
| Frio | $2333.33
(1892.97) |
$1500.00 | 3 | 4 |
| Gains | $2600.00
(848.52) |
$2600.00 | 2 | 7 |
| Galveston | $4340.00
(3573.81) |
$3250.00 | 30 | 2 |
| Garza | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Gillespie | $4387.50
(3044.22) |
$4275.00 | 4 | 6 |
| Glasscock | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Goliad | $1800.00 | $1800.00 | 1 | 4 |
| Gonzales | $2250.00
(353.55) |
$2250.00 | 2 | 3 |
| Gray | $4000.00 | $4000.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Grayson | $7812.50
(4447.61) |
$6750.00 | 8 | 1 |
| Gregg | $7778.57
(6093.84) |
$7500.00 | 7 | 1 |
| Grimes | $4386.67
(1203.55) |
$5000.00 | 3 | 2 |
| Guadalupe | $3150.00
(1999.82) |
$3150.00 | 8 | 3 |
| Hale | $8228.57
(10005.78) |
$4600.00 | 7 | 9 |
| Hall | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Hamilton | $4150.00
(212.13) |
$4150.00 | 2 | 3 |
| Hansford | $4650.00
(3747.67) |
$4650.00 | 2 | 9 |
| Hardeman | $8333.33
(4725.82) |
$10000.00 | 3 | 9 |
| Hardin | $12666.67
(23252.24) |
$3500.00 | 6 | 2 |
| Harris | $5540.36
(13465.30) |
$3000.00 | 200 | 2 |
| Harrison | $8425.00
(8071.92) |
$6000.00 | 4 | 1 |
| Hartley | $21500.00
(2616.95) |
$21500.00 | 2 | 9 |
| Haskell | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Hays | $4350.00
(6624.55) |
$2625.00 | 18 | 3 |
| Hemphill | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Henderson | $6416.67
(7002.98) |
$4500.00 | 6 | 1 |
| Hidalgo | $22922.22
(69309.96) |
$5500.00 | 18 | 5 |
| Hill | $4500.00
(2577.37) |
$4000.00 | 8 | 3 |
| Hockley | $4940.00
(2882.21) |
$3900.00 | 10 | 9 |
| Hood | $10125.00
(7099.00) |
$8500.00 | 4 | 8 |
| Hopkins | $7375.00
(8439.74) |
$3500.00 | 4 | 1 |
| Houston | $3000.00 | $3000.00 | 1 | 1 |
| Howard | $2750.00
(1767.77) |
$2750.00 | 2 | 7 |
| Hudspeth | $4812.50
(2427.06) |
$4875.00 | 4 | 6 |
| Hunt | $12500.00
(1060.60) |
$12500.00 | 2 | 1 |
| Hutchinson | $4266.62
(2731.91) |
$3500.00 | 3 | 9 |
| Irion | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Jack | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 8 |
| Jackson | $17000.00
(22181.07) |
$8000.00 | 4 | 4 |
| Jasper | $3500.00 | $3500.00 | 1 | 2 |
| Jeff Davis | $3500.00
(2121.32) |
$3500.00 | 2 | 6 |
| Jefferson | $7222.22
(13321.78) |
$4000.00 | 18 | 2 |
| Jim Hoog | $7000.00 | $7000.00 | 1 | 5 |
| Jim Wells | $5000.00 | $5000.00 | 1 | 5 |
| Johnson | $10226.92
(8595.70) |
$7000.00 | 13 | 3 |
| Jones | $4356.25
(2924.21) |
$3875.00 | 8 | 7 |
| Karnes | $6266.67
(7691.77) |
$3300.00 | 3 | 4 |
| Kaufman | $6310.00
(7875.94) |
$3000.00 | 5 | 1 |
| Kendall | $3400.00
(2250.71) |
$3000.00 | 8 | 6 |
| Kenedy | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 5 |
| Kent | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Kerr | $5222.22
(3675.18) |
$4000.00 | 9 | 6 |
| Kimble | $3000.00
(1414.21) |
$3500.00 | 4 | 6 |
| King | --------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Kinney | $6250.00
(5303.30) |
$6250.00 | 2 | 6 |
| Kleberg | $5116.67
(3476.44) |
$4050.00 | 6 | 5 |
| Knox | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| La Salle | $1500.00 | $1500.00 | 1 | 4 |
| Lamar | $4860.00
(3930.39) |
$6000.00 | 5 | 1 |
| Lamb | $15383.33
(17810.16) |
$5500.00 | 6 | 9 |
| Lampasas | $5237.50
(3391.50) |
$4425.00 | 4 | 3 |
| Lavaca | $6940.00
(10317.85) |
$1800.00 | 5 | 3 |
| Lee | $7833.33
(1755.94) |
$8000.00 | 3 | 2 |
| Leon | $4825.00
(1523.98) |
$5000.00 | 4 | 2 |
| Liberty | $7283.33
(8092.07) |
$2750.00 | 6 | 2 |
| Limestone | $4166.67
(2843.12) |
$5000.00 | 3 | 2 |
| Lipscomb | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Live Oak | $8500.00
(5894.81) |
$7000.00 | 3 | 4 |
| Llano | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 3 |
| Loving | $1500.00 | $1500.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Lubbock | $7089.47
(9504.50) |
$4600.00 | 19 | 9 |
| Lynn | --------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Madison | $2500.00 | $2800.00 | 1 | 2 |
| Marion | $13350.00
(16475.59) |
$13350.00 | 2 | 1 |
| Martin | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Mason | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 6 |
| Matagorda | $19600.00
(26375.75) |
$6000.00 | 3 | 2 |
| Maverick | $6800.00
(3134.49) |
$6500.00 | 5 | 4 |
| McCulloch | $4000.00 | $4000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| McLennan | $9590.91
(12271.39) |
$4500.00 | 11 | 3 |
| McMullen | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 4 |
| Medina | $5000.00
(3752.78) |
$4500.00 | 7 | 6 |
| Menard | $3500.00
(707.11) |
$3500.00 | 2 | 7 |
| Midland | $5483.33
(3261.51) |
$4500.00 | 12 | 7 |
| Milam | $5250.00
(3889.09) |
$5250.00 | 2 | 3 |
| Mills | $10000.00 | $10000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Mitchell | $23500.00
(9192.39) |
$2350.00 | 2 | 7 |
| Montague | $2700.00
(989.95) |
$2700.00 | 2 | 8 |
| Montgomery | $5999.78
(5548.74) |
$4000.00 | 37 | 2 |
| Moore | $40000.00 | $4000.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Morris | $4500.00
(4242.64) |
$4500.00 | 2 | 1 |
| Motley | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Nacogdoches | $6200.00
(3053.69) |
$7000.00 | 5 | 1 |
| Navarro | $7166.67
(960.90) |
$1600.00 | 3 | 3 |
| Newton | --------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 2 |
| Nolan | $14125.00
(12195.46) |
$12000.00 | 4 | 7 |
| Nueces | $2591.18
(1838.67) |
$1750.00 | 17 | 5 |
| Ochiltree | $4650.00
(3747.67) |
$4650.00 | 2 | 9 |
| Oldham | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Orange | $8500.00
(1633.96) |
$4400.00 | 12 | 2 |
| Palo Pinto | $6500.00
(3000.00) |
$5000.00 | 4 | 8 |
| Panola | $13550.00
(14993.58) |
$10000.00 | 3 | 1 |
| Parker | $5711.76
(4873.13) |
$5000.00 | 17 | 8 |
| Parmer | $5000.00 | $5000.00 | 1 | 9 |
| Pecos | $4000.00 | $4000.00 | 1 | 6 |
| Polk | $4687.50
(3552.54) |
$4250.00 | 8 | 2 |
| Potter | $6916.67
(5142.96) |
$5500.00 | 12 | 9 |
| Presidio | $3500.00
(2121.32) |
$3500.00 | 2 | 6 |
| Rains | $4000.00 | $4000.00 | 1 | 1 |
| Randall | $6916.67
(5142.66) |
$5500.00 | 12 | 9 |
| Reagan | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 6 |
| Real | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 6 |
| Red River | $4257.14
(3273.05) |
$4000.00 | 7 | 1 |
| Reeves | $8000.00
(6928.20) |
$4500.00 | 3 | 7 |
| Refugio | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 4 |
| Roberts | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Robertson | $3860.00
(4614.98) |
$2000.00 | 5 | 2 |
| Rockwall | $3437.50
(657.49) |
$3500.00 | 4 | 1 |
| Runnels | $1933.33
(115.47) |
$2000.00 | 3 | 7 |
| Rusk | $7766.67
(11203.56) |
$3850.00 | 6 | 1 |
| Sabine | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 2 |
| San Augustine | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 2 |
| San Jacinto | $4400.00
(4361.05) |
$2500.00 | 5 | 2 |
| San Patricio | $3492.31
(2686.53) |
$2900.00 | 13 | 4 |
| San Saba | $10000.00 | $10000.00 | 1 | 3 |
| Schleicher | $2000.00 | $2000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Scurry | $5600.00
(622.54) |
$5600.00 | 2 | 7 |
| Shackelford | $6000.00 | $6000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Shelby | $5333.33
(4072.26) |
$3500.00 | 3 | 1 |
| Sherman | $16333.33
(20550.75) |
$6000.00 | 3 | 9 |
| Smith | $5342.86
(4682.16) |
$4000.00 | 14 | 1 |
| Somervell | $8000.00
(1414.21) |
$8000.00 | 2 | 3 |
| Starr | $8450.00
(4021.82) |
$8600.00 | 6 | 5 |
| Stephens | $2000.00 | $2000.00 | 1 | 8 |
| Sterling | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Stonewall | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Sutton | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 6 |
| Swisher | $5250.00
(1060.66) |
$5250.00 | 2 | 9 |
| Tarrant | $7939.78
(11284.18) |
$5000.00 | 93 | 8 |
| Taylor | $5203.57
(3853.99) |
$5000.00 | 14 | 7 |
| Terrell | -------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 6 |
| Terry | $17333.33
(23980.90) |
$4500.00 | 3 | 9 |
| Throckmorton | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 7 |
| Titus | $1500.00 | $1500.00 | 1 | 1 |
| Tom Green | $2700.00
(1536.23) |
$2000.00 | 4 | 7 |
| Travis | $4431.25
(5088.51) |
$2950.00 | 48 | 3 |
| Trinity | $4400.00
(4361.05) |
$2500.00 | 5 | 2 |
| Tyler | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 2 |
| Upsher | $10350.00
(8491.91) |
$7500.00 | 5 | 1 |
| Upton | $1000.00 | $1000.00 | 1 | 6 |
| Uvalde | $5866.67
(3775.36) |
$5000.00 | 3 | 6 |
| Val Verde | $5850.00
(4059.86) |
$4000.00 | 7 | 6 |
| Van Zandt | $6850.00
(7635.44) |
$4000.00 | 5 | 1 |
| Victoria | $5060.00
(4281.02) |
$2750.00 | 10 | 4 |
| Walker | $4571.43
(1953.39) |
$5000.00 | 7 | 2 |
| Waller | $3234.86
(984.60) |
$3000.00 | 7 | 2 |
| Ward | $8266.67
(6724.09) |
$5000.00 | 3 | 7 |
| Washington | $5665.00
(1871.43) |
$5580.00 | 4 | 2 |
| Webb | $4400.00
(894.43) |
$5000.00 | 5 | 4 |
| Wharton | $23433.33
(24152.92) |
$17500.00 | 3 | 2 |
| Wheeler | ---------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------ | 9 |
| Wichita | $5375.00
(5121.44) |
$3250.00 | 4 | 8 |
| Wilbarger | $7500.00
(5802.30) |
$7500.00 | 4 | 9 |
| Willacy | $5750.00
(1060.66) |
$5750.00 | 2 | 5 |
| Williamson | $4659.09
(6402.96) |
$2700.00 | 22 | 3 |
| Wilson | $2325.00
(2131.13) |
$2050.00 | 4 | 4 |
| Winkler | $5000.00 | $5000.00 | 1 | 7 |
| Wise | $7100.00
(8902.06) |
$3850.00 | 4 | 8 |
| Wood | $12455.00
(22046.50) |
$5000.00 | 10 | 1 |
| Yoakum | $2600.00
(848.53) |
$2600.00 | 2 | 9 |
| Young | $2000.00
(0.00) |
$2000.00 | 2 | 8 |
| Zapata | $4500.00
(707.11) |
$4500.00 | 2 | 4 |
| Zavala | $5320.00
(2989.48) |
$4000.00 | 5 | 4 |
Source: State Bar of Texas Committee on Legal Services to the Poor in Criminal Matters Survey of Criminal Defense Attorneys, 1995.
Notes:
1. The sample was drawn from a list of all members of the Texas Criminal Defense Association, all persons who were Board Certified in Criminal Law (with prosecutors and judges removed), and all persons who subscribed to the State Bar's Criminal Digest (again, with the prosecutors and judges removed).
2. It should be noted that while few surveys are returned from some counties, there are also few lawyers in these counties.