ABA Journal

Federal Circuit Court

159 ABA Journal Federal Circuit Court articles.

How federal appeals judges’ opinions change as they get older

Older federal appeals judges are more likely to rely on “cognitive shortcuts” in their opinions than their younger counterparts, according to a study presented at a political science conference earlier this month.

Federal appeals judge, 96, suspended after refusing to cooperate in mental fitness probe

A 96-year-old federal appeals judge who may be experiencing “significant mental problems” has been suspended from case assignments for a year after she refused to cooperate in a probe of her fitness for the bench, according to a Sept. 20 order.

Investigations of federal judges are rare and should happen more, former clerk says

The investigation of federal judges falls under the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act, and it doesn’t happen nearly as often as it should, says the president and founder of the Legal Accountability Project.

Weekly Briefs: Hunter Biden prosecutor elevated to special counsel; Charles Ogletree dies

Hunter Biden prosecutor given special counsel status

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday that he has appointed the U.S. attorney investigating Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden,…

Federal appeals judge should be suspended for failing to cooperate in mental fitness probe, report says

A special committee appointed to investigate the competence of a 96-year-old federal appeals judge is recommending that she be suspended from hearing all cases for a year for failing to cooperate in the probe.

Weekly Briefs: 96-year-old judge must mediate suit to keep job; DOJ reverses stance on Trump shield

Mediation ordered in judge’s bid to keep job

A 96-year-old judge on the Federal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Pauline Newman, must mediate her lawsuit seeking to stay on the…

Lawyer for federal appeals judge barred from new cases finds orders ‘incredible’ and ‘stunning’

A lawyer representing a 95-year-old federal appeals judge is criticizing a judicial council’s refusal to assign her new cases and an investigating committee’s new focus on her failure to cooperate.

SCOTUS will consider First Amendment right to trademark ‘Trump too small’ without Trump’s consent

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether the First Amendment was violated when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused to register a trademark for the slogan “Trump too small.”

Federal circuit judge, 95, flunked security training, displayed hacking paranoia, exam order alleges

Judge Pauline Newman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has until May 23 to decide whether she will submit to a medical examination for competency with two specialists, according to a May 16 order by a three-judge investigative committee that details the reasons for its concerns.

Competency concerns lead to investigation of 95-year-old appeals judge

A 95-year-old judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is being investigated by the court’s judicial council after concerns were raised about her competency. The judge has refused to accept service of orders issued in the case.

Meet the lawyer representing Trump in his lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward

The new lawyer representing former President Donald Trump in his lawsuit against journalist Bob Woodward initially practiced law as a barrister in Great Britain.

Judge’s failure to conduct ‘lodestar cross-check’ dooms Quinn Emanuel’s $185M fee award

A trial judge should not have awarded $185 million in fees to Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan without conducting a “lodestar cross-check” that considers hours worked and billing rates, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled Tuesday.

Meet Robert Hur, the former Trump-era prosecutor who is special counsel in Biden documents probe

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday that he is appointing a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as the special counsel to investigate whether any person or entity violated the law in connection with classified documents found at President Joe Biden’s home and office.

Weekly Briefs: Same-sex marriage bill sent to Biden; lawyer pleads guilty after swinging belt caught on video

Bill protecting gay marriage is sent to Biden

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a marriage equality bill Thursday that requires states and the federal government to recognize same-sex…

Corporate owners knew little about patents they got free of charge and the litigation that followed, judge finds

A federal judge in Delaware is explaining why he ordered patent holding company Nimitz Technologies to produce records showing how it came to own a patent at issue in four cases before him.

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