UNITED STATES 

COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE 

FEDERAL CIRCUIT

Lafayette Square

Washington, DC
The United States Court of Appeals 

for the Federal Circuit was established 

under Article III of the constitution on 

October 1, 1982. The court was formed 

by the merger of the United States Court 

of Customs and Patent Appeals and the 

appellate division of the United States 

Court of Claims. The court is located in 

the Howard T. Markey National Courts 

Building on historic Lafayette Square in 

Washington, D.C.

The Federal Circuit Ceremonial Courtroom.

The United States Court 

of Appeals for the 

Federal Circuit complex.

The Federal Circuit is unique among the thirteen Circuit Courts 

of Appeals. It has nationwide jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas, 

including international trade, government contracts, patents, trademarks, 

certain money claims against the United States government, federal 

personnel, veterans’ benefits, and public safety officers’ benefits claims. 

Appeals to the court come from all federal district courts, the United 

States Court of Federal Claims, the United States Court of International 

Trade, and the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The 

court 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 Congressional Office of Compliance, the 

Government Accountability Office Personnel Appeals Board, and the U.S. 

International Trade Commission. 

As of FY 2018, the court’s jurisdiction consists of administrative 

law cases (20%), intellectual property cases (67%), and cases involving 

money damages against the United States government (13%). The 

administrative law cases consist of international trade disputes, personnel 

claims, and veterans claims. Nearly all of the intellectual property cases 

involve patents originating from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 

and all U.S. District Courts. Suits for money damages against the United 

States government include government contract cases, tax refund appeals, 

unlawful takings, and civilian and military pay cases.

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit:

Sources of Appeals

United States

Court of 

Federal Claims

United States

Court of 

International Trade

United States

Court of

Appeals for

Veterans Claims

United States

District Courts Administrative Agencies

United States 

Merit Systems

Protection

Board

Boards of 

Contract

Appeals

Board of

Patent Appeals and Interferences

Trademark

Trial and 

Appeals 

Board

United States

International

Trade Commission

Oce of 

Compliance Government 

Accounting Oce Personnel 

Appeals Board

Bureau of

Justice

Assistance

The judges’ conference room.


IT IS AS MUCH THE DUTY OF 

GOVERNMENT TO RENDER 

PROMPT JUSTICE AGAINST 

ITSELF IN FAVOR OF CITIZENS, 

AS IT IS TO ADMINISTER THE 

SAME, BETWEEN PRIVATE 

INDIVIDUALS. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The judges of the court are appointed by the President, with the 

advice and consent of the Senate. Judges are appointed to the court for 

life under Article Ill of the Constitution of the United States. There are 

twelve judges in active service. When eligible, judges may elect to take 

senior status, which allows them to continue to serve on the court while 

handling fewer cases than a judge in active service. Each judge in active 

service employs a judicial assistant and up to four law clerks, while each 

judge in senior status employs a judicial assistant and one law clerk.

Title 28 of the United States Code, the Federal Rules of Appellate 

Procedure and the court’s Rules of Practice and Internal Operating 

Procedures govern procedure in the Federal Circuit. Appeals are heard 

by panels comprised of three judges who are selected randomly for 

assignment to the panels. Losing parties may seek review of a decision of 

the Federal Circuit in the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Court sessions generally are held during the first week of each month 

in Washington , D.C. The court is also authorized to hear cases in other 

cities throughout the United States to meet the needs of litigants in other 

parts of the country.

The court’s work begins when an appeal is docketed by the Clerk 

of the Court and is assigned a docket number. The parties to the cases 

then prepare and file written briefs setting forth their arguments. Parties 

also may submit materials such as transcripts of testimony and other 

relevant parts of the record made in the lower tribunal from which the 

A view of courtroom stairway.

appeal originated. Once all the briefs have been received, the case may 

be scheduled for oral argument before the court. Each side usually is 

allotted between 15 and 30 minutes for argument, depending on the nature 

of the case. During oral argument, the lawyers for the parties present 

their arguments and answer questions of the judges concerning the issues 

presented. If the court determines that oral argument is unnecessary, the 

case is decided by a panel of judges based on the arguments presented 

in the briefs. In each appeal, the presiding judge of the panel assigns a 

member of the panel to prepare the court ‘s opinion.

The opinion sets out the decision of the court and 

the reasons for the decision. If the panel determines 

that its decision will add significantly to a body of 

law, it issues a precedential opinion. Decisions that 

do not add significantly to the body of law are issued 

as nonprecedential. All opinions are made available 

to the public, and may be obtained from the court’s website, the Federal 

Reporter 3rd Series, PACER, the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s 

govinfo service, and commercial legal publishers and research sources.

The senior staff of the court consists of the Circuit Executive and 

Clerk of Court, Chief Deputy Clerk, Operations and Administrative 

Services Officer, General Counsel, Circuit Librarian, and Director of 

Information Technology.

above left: The Dolley Madison conference room. right: The courtyard and terrace. 

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 

Lafayette Square

Washington, DC 20439

www.cafc.uscourts.gov

Photography by Tara Parekh and Robin Reid June 2019