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So...once again, it seems like some lawyers could have benefited from a little judicial administration history lesson – this time about the U.S Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Shall we give it to them? (
) https://twitter.com/jadler1969/status/1336478404749701120
) https://twitter.com/jadler1969/status/1336478404749701120
Once upon a time, in 1982, Congress created the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. That moment was fateful because, in doing so, Congress put in the final courts-of-appeals-puzzle-piece, if you will. The 13th out of 13! (Yes, =
. Just go with me here.)
=. Just go with me here.)
But just remember, the Federal Circuit is special. Literally. (And like literally literally, not figuratively literally, @joshchafetz.) It has *specialized jurisdiction.*
What cases does it hear? Well, it has nationwide jurisdiction in a # of subject areas, including international trade, gov't contracts, patents, trademarks, certain $ claims against the US gov't, federal personnel, veterans' benefits, and public safety officers' benefits claims.
And the fun doesn't stop there. 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 United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.* (Seriously, how cool is that?)
You might be thinking, I kinda knew this already. (Well, if you did, you’re already a step ahead of the lawyers in King, but I hear you.) Do you know where the Federal Circuit came from? Let me tell you, so you have something to chat about at your next (post-covid) 
party.
party.
The Federal Circuit had two parents: (1) the U.S. Court of Customs Appeals, created by Congress in 1909, and (2) what functioned as the appellate division of the U.S. Court of Claims, a court originally created in 1855. (This is a great lineage.)
In 1929, the Court of Customs Appeals was renamed the “Court of Customs and Patent Appeals.” After the Supreme Court ruled that the court was an Article I court, Congress was like, "nah," and declared it to be an Article III court in 1958.
(And Congress had already declared the Court of Claims to be an Article III court in 1953. As a side note, can we just take a moment to marvel as Congress's power here? That it can practice a kind of alchemy to create Article III courts? 
But I digress...)
But I digress...)
The Court of Customs and Patent Appeals was abolished in 1982, and its 5 judges and the 7 judges of the appellate division of the Court of Claims were then transferred to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Et voila!
Now if you are feeling a little sad about the court-abolishment part of the story (it gets me every time), let me cheer you up with another fun fact for your party. Did you know that the Federal Circuit has a fabulous location, on the east side of Lafayette Square in DC?
fact for your party. Did you know that the Federal Circuit has a fabulous location, on the east side of Lafayette Square in DC?
