United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Federal Circuit Washington, District of Columbia

About This Court

Hears appeals from across the country in the kinds of cases Congress has assigned to it (28 U.S.C. § 1295), among them patent cases and appeals from the Court of Federal Claims and the Court of International Trade. Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, along with the court's own rules.

Active Judges 12

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
Raymond Chen	Barack Obama	2013	New York University School of Law
Tiffany Cunningham	Joseph R. Biden	2021	Harvard Law School
Timothy Dyk	William J. Clinton	2000	Harvard Law School
Todd Hughes	Barack Obama	2013	Duke University School of Law
Alan Lourie	George H.W. Bush	1990	Temple University School of Law (now James E. Beasley School of Law)
Kimberly Moore	George W. Bush	2006	Georgetown University Law Center
Pauline Newman	Ronald Reagan	1984	New York University School of Law
Sharon Prost	George W. Bush	2001	American University, Washington College of Law
Jimmie Reyna	Barack Obama	2011	University of New Mexico School of Law
Leonard Stark	Joseph R. Biden	2022	Yale Law School
Kara Stoll	Barack Obama	2015	Georgetown University Law Center
Richard Taranto	Barack Obama	2013	Yale Law School

Senior Judges 7

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
William Bryson	William J. Clinton	1994	University of Texas School of Law
Raymond Clevenger	George H.W. Bush	1990	Yale Law School
Richard Linn	William J. Clinton	1999	Georgetown University Law Center
Haldane Mayer	Ronald Reagan	1987	William and Mary Law School
S. Plager	George H.W. Bush	1989	University of Florida College of Law (now Fredric G. Levin College of Law)
Alvin Schall	George H.W. Bush	1992	Tulane University Law School
Evan Wallach	Barack Obama	2011	University of California, Berkeley, School of Law

Local Rules

The Rules of Practice and Internal Operating Procedures of the Federal Circuit, which supplement the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.

Title I. Applicability of Rules 1

Rule	Title
Federal Circuit Rule 1	Scope of Rules; Definitions; Title

Title II. Appeal from a Judgment or Order of a District Court 7

Rule	Title
Federal Circuit Rule 3	Appeal as of Right — How Taken
Federal Circuit Rule 4	Appeal as of Right — Untimely Notice
Federal Circuit Rule 5	Appeal by Permission
Federal Circuit Rule 8	Stay or Injunction Pending Appeal
Federal Circuit Rule 10	The Record on Appeal
Federal Circuit Rule 11	Forwarding the Record
Federal Circuit Rule 12	Docketing the Appeal

Title IV. Review or Enforcement of an Order of an Administrative Agency, Board, Commission, or Officer 4

Rule	Title
Federal Circuit Rule 15	Review of an Agency Order or Action
Federal Circuit Rule 17	Filing the Record
Federal Circuit Rule 18	Stay Pending Review
Federal Circuit Rule 20	Applicability of Rules to the Review of an Agency Order or Action

Title V. Extraordinary Writs 1

Rule	Title
Federal Circuit Rule 21	Writs of Mandamus and Prohibition, and Other Extraordinary Writs

Title VI. Habeas Corpus; Proceedings in Forma Pauperis 1

Rule	Title
Federal Circuit Rule 24	Proceeding in Forma Pauperis

Title VII. General Provisions 44

Rule	Title
Federal Circuit Rule 25	Filing and Service
Federal Circuit Rule 25.1	Privacy and Confidentiality
Federal Circuit Rule 26	Computing and Extending Time
Federal Circuit Rule 26.1	Disclosure Statement
Federal Circuit Rule 27	Motions
Federal Circuit Rule 28	Briefs
Federal Circuit Rule 28.1	Cross-Appeals
Federal Circuit Rule 29	Brief of an Amicus Curiae
Federal Circuit Rule 30	Appendix to the Briefs
Federal Circuit Rule 31	Serving and Filing Briefs
Federal Circuit Rule 32	Form of Briefs, Appendices, and Other Papers
Federal Circuit Rule 32.1	Citing Judicial Dispositions
Federal Circuit Rule 33	Appeal Conferences
Federal Circuit Rule 33.1	[Reserved]
Federal Circuit Rule 34	Oral Argument
Federal Circuit Rule 35	[Reserved]
Federal Circuit Rule 36	Entry of Judgment
Practice Notes to Rule 38	Frivolous Appeal
Federal Circuit Rule 39	Costs
Federal Circuit Rule 40	Panel Rehearing; En Banc Determination
Federal Circuit Rule 41	Issuance of Mandate
Practice Notes to Rule 42	Voluntary Dismissal
Practice Notes to Rule 44	Case Involving a Constitutional Question When the United States or the Relevant State is Not a Party
Federal Circuit Rule 45	Clerk of Court’s Duties
Federal Circuit Rule 46	Attorneys
Federal Circuit Rule 47	Adoption of Local Rules
Federal Circuit Rule 47.1	Sessions and Places of Holding Court
Federal Circuit Rule 47.2	Panels
Federal Circuit Rule 47.3	Representation and Appearance
Federal Circuit Rule 47.4	Certificate of Interest
Federal Circuit Rule 47.5	Related Case Disclosure
Federal Circuit Rule 47.6	Docketing Statement
Federal Circuit Rule 47.7	Attorney Fees and Expenses Incurred in This Court
Federal Circuit Rule 47.8	In Camera Proceedings
Federal Circuit Rule 47.9	Petition for Judicial Review Under 5 U.S.C. § 7703(d)
Federal Circuit Rule 47.10	Dismissal of a Bankruptcy Stay Case
Federal Circuit Rule 47.11	Quorum
Federal Circuit Rule 47.12	[Reserved]
Federal Circuit Rule 49	Seal of the Court
Federal Circuit Rule 50	Employee and Former Employee
Federal Circuit Rule 51	Complaint of Judicial Misconduct or Disability
Federal Circuit Rule 52	Fees
Federal Circuit Rule 53	Judicial Conference
Federal Circuit Rule 54	Library

Federal Circuit Attorney Discipline Rules 12

Rule	Title
Attorney Discipline Rules	Introduction
Attorney Discipline Rule 1	Definitions
Attorney Discipline Rule 2	Grounds for Discipline
Attorney Discipline Rule 3	Types of Discipline
Attorney Discipline Rule 4	Disciplinary Matters Referred to the Court
Attorney Discipline Rule 5	Merits/Motions Panel or Standing Panel Procedure
Attorney Discipline Rule 6	Conviction or Discipline Imposed by Another Court or an Agency
Attorney Discipline Rule 7	Proceedings for Reciprocal Discipline or Conviction of Serious Crime
Attorney Discipline Rule 8	Contested Proceedings
Attorney Discipline Rule 9	Reinstatement
Attorney Discipline Rule 10	Access to Information
Attorney Discipline Rule 11	Effective Date

Internal Operating Procedures 15

Rule	Title
IOP 1	Internal Operating Procedures (IOPs) and Definitions
IOP 2	Motion and Petition Practice
IOP 3	Merits Panels – Distribution of Briefs, Records, and Files
IOP 4	Briefs, Appendices, and Hearings in Cases Involving Protective Order
IOP 5	Recusal
IOP 6	Visiting Judges
IOP 7	Oral Argument
IOP 8	Panel Conference – Authoring Assignment
IOP 9	Disposition of Cases – Opinions and Orders – Vacate, Reverse, Remand – Costs
IOP 10	Precedential / Nonprecedential Opinions and Orders
IOP 11	Uniformity of Citation
IOP 12	Petitions for Panel Rehearing
IOP 13	Bases for Hearing En Banc or Rehearing En Banc
IOP 14	Hearing and Rehearing En Banc – Dissolution of En Banc
IOP 15	Remand from the Supreme Court