FedCircuitBlog

This week is Court Week at the Federal Circuit. The court will convene 12 panels to consider 71 cases. Of the 71 cases, the court will hear oral argument in 46. The Federal Circuit provides access to live audio of these arguments via the Federal Circuit’s YouTube channel. This month, three cases scheduled for oral argument attracted amicus briefs. Here’s what you need to know about these three cases.

As we’ve been reporting, three cases being argued at the Federal Circuit in December attracted amicus briefs. One of these cases, Hamill v. Collins, is a veterans case. In it, Hamill appeals a dismissal by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims of his mandamus petition. He urged that court to order the Department of Veterans Affairs to issue an appealable decision readjudicating the character of his discharge, and to certify a class of veterans who received other than honorable discharges and then applied for benefits but received decisions that adjudicated only healthcare eligibility, not including readjudication of the character of their discharges. The lower court dismissed his petition as moot because Hamill received a determination from VA that he had not submitted new and material evidence related to the character of his discharge. This is our argument preview.

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. This morning, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion and two nonprecedential opinions. The precedential opinion comes in an appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board. One of the nonprecedential opinions also comes in an appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board, while the other comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Here are the introductions to the opinions and a link to the dismissal.

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. This morning, the Federal Circuit released one nonprecedential opinion. It comes in an appeal of a decision in an inter partes review proceeding by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Here is the introduction to the opinion and a link to the dismissal.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, two nonprecedential opinions, and one nonprecedential order. The precedential opinion comes in a patent case on appeal from a judgment of a district court and addresses patent law’s written description requirement. Both nonprecedential opinions come in appeals of decisions of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The order dismisses an appeal. Here are introductions to the opinions and a link to the dismissal.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released five nonprecedential opinions and three nonprecedential orders dismissing appeals. Three of the opinions come in patent cases. Judge Dyk dissented to one. The other two opinions come in pro se appeals. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the dismissals.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, one nonprecedential opinion, and three nonprecedential orders. The precedential opinion comes in an appeal of a judgment in a case involving claims of design and utility patent infringement. The nonprecedential opinion comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board. One of the orders requires the parties to seek clarification of a final judgment in a patent case, while two dismiss appeals. Here are the introductions to the opinions and the first order and links to the dismissals.

Here is an update on recent activity at the Supreme Court in cases decided by the Federal Circuit. Since our last update, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case challenging President Trump’s tariffs. As for pending petitions, new petitions were filed in a patent case, a government contract case, and a pro se case; briefs in opposition were filed in a patent case and a takings case; waivers of the right to respond to petitions were filed in a Rule 36 case and two pro se cases; five amicus briefs were filed in a government contract case; and three petitions were denied, one in a Rule 36 case and two in pro se cases. Here are the details.

This morning, the Federal Circuit released one precedential opinion, one nonprecedential opinion, and three Rule 36 judgments. The precedential opinion comes in an patent infringement case where a defendants challenged the validity of the asserted patent claims due to indefiniteness. While the district court found the claims invalid, the Federal Circuit reversed the judgment. The nonprecedential opinion comes in a pro se appeal of a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Here are introductions to the opinions and links to the Rule 36 judgments.

Late yesterday, the Federal Circuit released a nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. This morning, the court released four nonprecedential opinions, one Rule 36 judgment, and another nonprecedential order dismissing an appeal. Two of the opinions come in pro se cases involving the same petitioner. The third opinion comes in an appeal from a decision of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, while the fourth opinion comes in an appeal from a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board. Here are the introductions to the opinions and links to the Rule 36 judgment and dismissals.