Opinions

Opinions & Orders – January 15, 2026

This morning, the Federal Circuit released two nonprecedential opinions and one nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. One of the opinions comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the other comes in an appeal of a decision of the Court of Federal Claims. Here are the introductions to the opinions and a link to the dismissal.

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Featured / Supreme Court Activity

Recent Supreme Activity

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. Since our last update, there has been no new activity at the Supreme Court in the only pending case decided by the Federal Circuit. As for petitions, a new petition was filed in a patent case addressing appellate procedure; waivers of the right to respond to petitions were filed in a patent case and five pro se cases; a reply brief in support of a petition was filed in a veterans case; and the Supreme Court denied petitions in ten cases. Here are the details.

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Opinions

Opinions & Orders – January 14, 2026

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit released three nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. This morning, the court released one precedential opinion, four nonprecedential opinions, and one Rule 36 judgment. The precedential opinion comes in a veterans case. Two of the nonprecedential opinions come in patent cases; one comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board; and the fourth comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Court of Federal Claims. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the judgment and dismissals.

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En Banc Activity / Featured / Petitions

Recent En Banc Activity

Here is an update on recent en banc activity at the Federal Circuit in patent cases. Since our last update, one new petition for en banc rehearing has been filed, raising a question related to venue for patent infringement claims; the Federal Circuit also invited a response to this petition; and another response was filed in another patent case raising questions related to prior art and the Administrative Procedure Act. Here are the details.

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Opinions

Opinions & Orders – January 13, 2026

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential opinion dismissing an appeal. This morning, the court released two precedential opinions, four nonprecedential opinions, and a Rule 36 judgment. One of the precedential opinions comes in an appeal of a decision of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; the other comes in an appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Of the nonprecedential opinions, one comes in appeals of a decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board; another comes in an appeal of a decision of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; another comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Court of Federal Claims; and the fourth comes in the form of a pro se petition for review of an arbitrator’s decision. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the judgment and yesterday’s dismissal.

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Featured / News

Recent News on the Federal Circuit

Here is a report on recent news and commentary related to the Federal Circuit and its cases. Today we highlight:

  • an article suggesting a recent Supreme Court decision could “signal that the Court may rule against the administration in the Trump tariff cases”;
  • an article analyzing how in President Trump’s tariff case the Supreme Court “has to navigate a direct clash between two constitutional values: the Hamiltonian imperative for executive agility in responding to complex, multi-vector hybrid, or irregular threats, and the Madisonian commitment to decentralized power and legislative oversight in the regulation of commerce”;
  • an article reporting how “[a]n attorney for Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman said . . . the 98-year-old judge plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court after the full D.C. Circuit refused to reconsider a decision affirming the dismissal of her lawsuit challenging her suspension”; and
  • a blog post commenting on the oral argument in “a long-running challenge to the USPTO’s Fintiv discretionary denial framework.”
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Argument Recap / Featured

Argument Recap – Apple Inc. v. Squires

Last week, the Federal Circuit Court heard oral argument in Apple Inc. v. Squires, a case we have been watching because it attracted four amicus briefs. In it, Apple Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., Google LLC, and Intel Corp. appeal a district court’s determination that the adoption of a precedential framework by the Patent and Trademark Office to govern whether the Patent Trial and Appeal Board will institute inter partes review when parallel district court litigation exists did not require notice-and-comment rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act. Judges Lourie, Taranto, and Chen heard the oral argument. This is our argument recap. 

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Opinions

Opinions & Orders – January 12, 2026

Late Friday, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. This morning, the Federal Circuit released two nonprecedential opinions and four Rule 36 judgments. Both opinions come in appeals of decisions of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the judgments and dismissal.

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Opinions

Opinions & Orders – January 9, 2026

This morning, the Federal Circuit released three nonprecedential opinions and five nonprecedential orders. The first opinion comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the International Trade Commission in a patent case; the second opinion comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; and the third opinion comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Court of Federal Claims. One of the orders grants a motion to permit an appearance for the purpose of withdrawing an appeal; the other four dismiss appeals. Here are the introductions the opinions and links to the orders.

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Opinions

Opinions & Orders – January 8, 2026

This morning, the Federal Circuit issued two precedential opinions, two nonprecedential opinions, a nonprecedential order, and two Rule 36 judgments. One of the precedential opinions comes in an appeal of a decision of the Court of International Trade; the other comes in an appeal of a decision of the International Trade Commission. One of the nonprecedential opinions comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; the other comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Court of Federal Claims. The order transfers a case to the Court of Federal Claims. Here are the introductions to the opinions and the order and links to the Rule 36 judgments.

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