U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Hears appeals by subject matter from across the country (and from specialized courts), not from a region.
Nationwide subject-matter (not geographic) jurisdiction. The Federal Circuit hears appeals in defined subject areas regardless of where the case arose, including: all patent and certain trademark cases; appeals from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (government contracts, takings, tax refund, and other monetary claims against the United States); appeals from the U.S. Court of International Trade (customs and international trade); appeals from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; appeals from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTAB) and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; appeals from the International Trade Commission (Section 337 unfair-import investigations); appeals from the Merit Systems Protection Board (federal employee personnel actions); government employee whistleblower and certain personnel matters; appeals under the Plant Variety Protection Act; and certain Bid protest, vaccine-injury (National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program), and economic-regulation cases. Created by the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982 (effective Oct. 1, 1982) through the merger of the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the appellate division of the U.S. Court of Claims. It has NO U.S. district courts within it.
Appointed, President nominates, Senate confirms.
Nationwide subject-matter (not geographic) jurisdiction. The Federal Circuit hears appeals in defined subject areas regardless of where the case arose, including: all patent and certain trademark cases; appeals from the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (government contracts, takings, tax refund, and other monetary claims against the United States); appeals from the U.S. Court of International Trade (customs and international trade); appeals from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; appeals from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTAB) and the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; appeals from the International Trade Commission (Section 337 unfair-import investigations); appeals from the Merit Systems Protection Board (federal employee personnel actions); government employee whistleblower and certain personnel matters; appeals under the Plant Variety Protection Act; and certain Bid protest, vaccine-injury (National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program), and economic-regulation cases. Created by the Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982 (effective Oct. 1, 1982) through the merger of the U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the appellate division of the U.S. Court of Claims. It has NO U.S. district courts within it.
Binding on the district courts within this circuit. In other circuits its decisions are only persuasive, a sister circuit may consider them but is not required to follow.