To me, it seems Canon Lawyers are hard to come by. In fact, I've never met one and 19 out of 20 times I see the phrase "canon lawyer" it is usually in the form "I am not one". It seems becoming a Canon Lawyer is probably one of the largest educational undertakings in existence. That would explain their scarcity. However, with such a vital role in the Church's governance, how available are they really to the dioceses that need them? What about the laity? It seems like you can *hire* them , which I did not expect when I first looked into this, and their prices are about what you'd expect for a lawyer . But are there currently enough Canon Lawyers to effectively serve the Church in the USA? What about the rest of the world? --- The question title asks for a number, but you're not going to get the green check mark that easily. I'm looking for some analysis on their distribution and if that is enough to be effective. Your own opinion on if that is enough is not really what I'm looking for. --- I just want to highlight a great resource on what exactly a Canon Lawyer is and what they do and don't do: canonlaw.info .

1. Where canon lawyers are charged with > advis[ing] people about how to exercise their rights [as Catholics] and to fulfill their obligations in accord with [canon] law 2. and Canon Law is defined as > operates in service to the Church that has supernatural responsibilities ... [and is] the legal expressions of Christ's will for his Church 3. and yet, one does not need to be called to holy orders (be a priest) to be a canon lawyer it is natural to question the moral, religious, and promissory obligations of canon lawyers. 1. Moral - Must canon lawyers live in accord to canon law to licitly practice? If not, is there a lesser law by which they must live? 2. Religious - Must canon lawyers be Catholics in good standing? 3. Promissory - Must canon lawyers make an oath before being licensed? If yes, what does that oath include? Source of quotes