FedCircuitBlog

This evening the Federal Circuit announced that it will be closed tomorrow, January 6, due to inclement weather and that it will conduct tomorrow’s proceedings by remote videoconferencing. Here is the full text of today’s announcement.

The Federal Circuit announced today that it will be closed and not hold oral arguments previously scheduled for Thursday, January 9 in observance of the National Day of Mourning for President Carter. Here is the full text of the announcement.

The Federal Circuit today announced that the most recent amendments to the Federal Circuit’s Rules of Practice go into effect today. The court also provided links to updated rules, forms, and guides. Here is the full text of today’s announcement.

Yesterday the Federal Circuit released an announcement advising the public regarding fake notices of electronic filing and docket activity being sent to attorneys and law firms. Here is the full text of the announcement.

Following the court’s September announcement of proposed amendments to the Federal Circuit Rules of Practice, today the Federal Circuit announced that the court “adopted amendments to Federal Circuit Rules of Practice 21, 27, 30, 32, 35, and 40; Practice Notes to Rules 15, 28, 30, 35 and 40; and Federal Circuit Attorney Discipline Rules Introduction and Rule 5.” As we discussed in September, among other things the court is adding a practice note highlighting how it “prefers that reply briefs respond to the response brief rather than repeating what is in the principal brief” and “favors reply briefs that do not use the full word length when not necessary.” It also is adding a new requirement regarding the table of contents for appendices, requiring the table of contents to identify how the relevant document was designated in the reviewing tribunal (such as the docket or other record number). Here is the full text of today’s announcement with links to, among other things, a summary of the adopted amendments.

On the heels of its recent announcement about the formation of an Intellectual Property Inn of Court located in Charlotte, the Federal Circuit today announced the court “intends to sit in and around Central North Carolina as part of its February 2025 session.” Panels of the court will hear arguments at the University of North Carolina School of Law, Duke University School of Law, and North Carolina Central University School of Law. Here is the full text of today’s announcement.

Yesterday, the Federal Circuit announced that security fencing will be installed around the National Courts Building and surrounding area but that access to the court will still be available. Here is the full text of the announcement.

Yesterday the Federal Circuit announced that the American Inn of Court focused on intellectual property law in Charlotte, North Carolina held a naming ceremony honoring Judge Stoll at its first inaugural meeting on Thursday, September 26. The announcement noted that Chief Judge Moore, Judge Prost, and Judge Cunningham attended the ceremony. Here is the full text of yesterday’s announcement.

The Federal Circuit today announced that the court’s electronic filing system will be unavailable this weekend due to maintenance. Here is the full text of today’s announcement.

Today the Federal Circuit announced that Chief Judge Moore appointed four people to three-year terms on the Federal Circuit’s Advisory Council. Two of the appointees are new to the Council: Jeremiah Helm, a Partner at Knobbe Martens whose practice focuses on patent litigation and appellate practice, and Patrick Keane, a Shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney whose practice focuses on intellectual property licensing, litigation, appeals, inter partes and post grant reviews, and development of intellectual property portfolios. Helm clerked for Chief Judge Moore, and Kean is Immediate Past-President of the Federal Circuit Bar Association. The other two appointees have previously served on the Council: Mel Bostwick, a Partner at Orrick whose practice focuses on patent appeals before the Federal Circuit, and Goutam Patnaik, a Partner at Desmarais whose practice focuses on investigations at the International Trade Commission and litigation in key patent venues. Bostwick clerked for Judge Dyk, while Patnaik is a past president of the International Trade Commission Trial Lawyers Association. Here is the full text of today’s announcement with a link to more information.