The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals announced that Chief Judge Randall R. Rader
will be stepping down as Chief Judge on May 30, 2014. Judge
Sharon Prost will succeed Judge Rader, who will remain active on
the bench.
The Federal Circuit is a unique court of appeals because its
jurisdiction is not based on its geographic location, but rather on
particular subject matter. It is most well known for
having exclusive jurisdiction over patent appeals from
all U.S. District Courts.
Nominated in 1990 by President Bush, Judge Rader has been
one of the more outspoken and influential judges in the area of
patent law. Although there are rumors being circulated as to
why Judge Rader has stepped down, we should remember that there are
always two sides to every story. Judge Rader could have
remained within the Beltway all of these years, but, instead,
he made an effort to assist practitioners across the country.
We should keep this in mind in the coming weeks.
