Tiffany Cunningham, partner and patent litigator at Perkins Coie, was confirmed by a Senate vote of 63-33 July 19 as circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (see 2103300044). Cunningham will be the first Black judge in that court's history. At Perkins Coie, Cunningham is a partner in the firm's Intellectual Property practice and Patent Litigation subgroup in the Chicago office. "Tiffany is a superb and accomplished lawyer who is highly respected and regarded within and outside Perkins Coie," managing partner Bill Malley said in a press release. "We congratulate her on her groundbreaking appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. We greatly appreciate all of Tiffany’s leadership and many contributions to the firm and our clients and wish her well on the next exciting chapter of her career."
Restrictions on courthouse access for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States Court of Federal Claims have been extended through Aug. 31, according to a June 28 order from the courts. Courthouse access will continue to be limited to court staff and litigants, witnesses and any other parties appearing in the building due to scheduled hearings. Additional access requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis only when submitted in writing at least 24 hours before the intended period of entrance, the order said. Access requests for the National Courts Building can be submitted in writing.
Effective June 28, those who have received the full COVID-19 vaccinations and are entering the Court of International Trade are no longer required to wear a face mask, according to a June 23 order from the court. Others will still be required to wear masks while in the common or public areas of the courthouse. Presiding judges may still set the COVID-19 protocols for the courtroom, jury room or chambers, and any who show virus symptoms won't be permitted in the courthouse.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will resume in-person arguments Aug. 30 with new COVID-19 protocols, the court announced June 22. It said it based its decision “on the court's experience of [oral argument's] distinctive value” and balanced it with safety concerns.
Export controls over 3D-printed guns were moved from the Commerce Department to the State Department following a court’s decision this week to officially waive a preliminary injunction that had blocked the transfer (see 2105030021).
Chief Judge Kimberly Moore of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit appointed seven new members to the court's advisory council, according to a May 24 statement. The appointments include Deanne Maynard of Morrison & Foerster, Claudia Burke of the Department of Justice (commercial litigation), Alexander Canizares of Perkins Coie, Adam Keser of Saint-Gobain Corporation, Monica Lateef of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Melissa Patterson of the DOJ (civil appellate) and Katherine Smith of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board. Each new member's place on the council became effective May 22 and will continue for a three-year term. According to the release, the council was established to review the Federal Circuit's rules of practice and internal operating procedures along with acting as an ambassador for these procedural rules to the public.
Changes made to the Court of International Trade's rules and fees took effect on May 3, according to an earlier notice of the amendments. Alterations to CIT Rules 3, 5, 15, Form 20 and Administrative Order 02-01 are now in force along with changes in fees made to the Schedule of Fees, Rule 74 and Form 10. The attorney admission certificate fee for the original admission of an attorney to practice was raised to $88, from $81.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit extended until May 31 limited access to the National Courts Building complex in Washington, D.C., an April 27 notice said. Building access will be limited to court staff, but requests for access will be assessed case by case provided they are submitted in writing at least 24 hours before the intended visit. Access has been curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judge Kimberly Moore will become the next chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on May 22, the court announced in an April 21 press release. Moore, a President George W. Bush appointee in 2006, will succeed Chief Judge Sharon Prost, who has served in the role of chief judge since 2014. Prost will be statutorily unable to serve in the position when her seven-year term ends in May, a few days before her 70th birthday. The law requires the chief judge of the Federal Circuit to be under 64 years of age when assuming the role.