Court of Appeals For The Federal Circuit

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
 
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC or Federal Circuit) was established under Article III of the U.S. Constitution on October 1, 1982, with the passage of the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982.  The court was formed by the merger of the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the appellate division of the U.S. Court of Claims.  The court is located in the Howard T. Markey National Courts Building on historic Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.
 
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is unique among the thirteen U.S. circuit courts of appeals.  The Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas, including international trade, government contracts, patents, trademarks, certain monetary claims against the United States government, federal personnel, veterans’ benefits, and public safety officers’ benefits claims.
 
Appeals to the Federal Circuit come from all federal district courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
 
The Federal Circuit also reviews certain administrative agency decisions, including those from the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, the Boards of Contract Appeals, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, the Office Congressional Workplace Rights, the Government Accountability Office Personnel Appeals Board, and the U.S. International Trade Commission.
 
The specialized focus of the Federal Circuit provides a unique opportunity for candidates with science and intellectual property backgrounds to expand their judicial experience in international trade.  Judges at the Federal Circuit generally prefer law clerks with previous clerkship experience or litigation experience.  However, each judge determines the qualifications for their clerks, so be sure to review the requirements in each position description prior to submitting an application.