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{{for|labor activist and unionist|Pauline Newman (labor activist)}}
{{for|labor activist and unionist|Pauline Newman (labor activist)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Pauline Newman
| name = Pauline Newman
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Circuit judge newman.png
| image = Circuit judge newman.png
| alt =
| caption =
| office = Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]]
| office = Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]]
| term_start = February 28, 1984
| term_start = February 28, 1984<br>Suspended since September 20, 2023<ref name = AP>{{Cite news|url=https://apnews.com/article/judge-suspended-age-disability-federal-newman-afaa58f65bfd6612300ae5a925c7cc55|title=A 96-year-old federal judge is barred from hearing cases in a bitter fight over her mental fitness|date=September 20, 2023|website=AP News}}</ref>
| term_end =
| term_end =
| appointer = [[Ronald Reagan]]
| appointer = [[List of federal judges appointed by Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]]
| predecessor = [[Philip Nichols Jr.]]
| predecessor = [[Philip Nichols Jr.]]
| successor =
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1927|6|20}}
| pronunciation =
| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
| birth_name =
| death_date =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1927|06|20}}
| death_place =
| birth_place = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
| death_date =
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| education = [[Vassar College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Columbia University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])<br>[[Yale University]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])<br>[[New York University]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])
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| education = [[Vassar College]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[Columbia University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])<br>[[Yale University]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])<br>[[New York University School of Law]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])
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<!--Embedded templates / Footnotes-->
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'''Pauline Newman''' (born June 20, 1927) is a [[United States federal judge|United States circuit judge]] of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]].
'''Pauline Newman''' (born June 20, 1927)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OSSqaBJ-YSIC&dq=pauline+newman+june+1927&pg=PA103|title=The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: A History, 1982–1990|date=May 18, 1991|publisher=United States Judicial Conference Committee on the Bicentennial of the Constitution of the United States|via=Google Books}}</ref> is a [[United States federal judge|United States circuit judge]] of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]]. She has been called "the heroine of the patent system",<ref name="WP 6-6-2023">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/06/05/newman-federal-circuit-oldest-judge-retirement-fight/ |title=Colleagues want a 95-year-old judge to retire; She's suing them instead|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|first1=Rachel|last1=Weiner|date=June 6, 2023}}</ref> "the Federal Circuit's most prolific dissenter", and "the greatest ally to inventors with respect to [calling out] the ignorance of the CAFC, district courts, and at times even the Supreme Court".<ref name="Lim">Daryl Lim, "[https://repository.law.uic.edu/facpubs/667/ I Dissent: The Federal Circuit's "Great Dissenter", Her Influence on the Patent Dialogue, and Why It Matters]", 19 ''Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law'' (Summer 2017), Vol. 19, Iss. 4.</ref> Chief Judge [[Kimberly A. Moore]] commented of Newman that "many of her dissents have later gone on to become the law—either the ''en banc'' law from our court or spoken on high from the Supremes".<ref>NYU School of Law, Law Women Alumna of the Year: Judge Pauline Newman '58, YOUTUBE (Feb. 19, 2013), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU7TdABOlD4 [https://perma.cc/EYZ6-6QNB]. Lynn Levine, Senior of Counsel in the Intellectual Property Group at Morrison and Foerster was the co-honoree.</ref>


==Education and career==
==Education and career==
Newman was born in New York City in 1927, to Maxwell H. and Rosella G. Newman.<ref name="JCOP">Joint Committee on Printing, ''Official Congressional Directory, 2011–2012: 112th Congress'' (2012), p. 855.</ref> Growing up during and in the aftermath of [[World War II]], Newman "learned to fly planes, drive racecars and ride motorcycles".<ref name="WP 6-6-2023"/> She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from [[Vassar College]] in 1947, with a double major in [[chemistry]] and philosophy, followed by a Master of Arts from [[Columbia University]] in 1948.<ref name="JCOP"/> She "sought to be a physician, but changed her mind",<ref name="Lim" />{{rp|873}} receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in [[chemistry]] from [[Yale University]] in 1952.<ref name="JCOP" /> At the time, it was unusual for women to work in the profession, and "no chemical firm would hire her except [[American Cyanamid]]".<ref name="WP 6-6-2023"/> As the sole female research scientist employed by the firm, "her bosses tried to force her into becoming a librarian until she threatened to walk out".<ref name="WP 6-6-2023" /> She worked as a research scientist for [[American Cyanamid]] from 1951 to 1954, during which time she was issued patents for "colorful, dirt-resistant synthetic fabric she helped invent".<ref name="WP 6-6-2023" /> In 1954, she "took her savings and bought a ticket on a boat to Paris, where she supported herself by mixing drinks on the [[Île Saint-Louis]]" for six months, until her funds ran out.<ref name="WP 6-6-2023" />
Born in [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]] to Maxwell H. and Rosella G. Newman, Newman received a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree from [[Vassar College]] in 1947, with a double major in [[chemistry]] and [[philosophy]], followed by a [[Master of Arts]] from [[Columbia University]] in 1948.<ref name="JCOP">Joint Committee on Printing, ''Official Congressional Directory, 2011–2012: 112th Congress'' (2012), p. 855.</ref> She "sought to be a physician, but changed her mind",<ref name="Lim">Daryl Lim, "[https://repository.law.uic.edu/facpubs/667/ I Dissent: The Federal Circuit's "Great Dissenter", Her Influence on the Patent Dialogue, and Why It Matters]", 19 ''Vand. J. Ent. & Tech.'' 873 (2017).</ref> receiving a [[Doctor of Philosophy]] in [[chemistry]] from [[Yale University]] in 1952.<ref name="JCOP"/> She worked as a research scientist for [[American Cyanamid]] from 1951 to 1954. From 1954 to 1984, Newman worked for [[FMC Corp.]], for fifteen years (1954–1969), receiving a [[Bachelor of Laws]] from [[New York University School of Law]] during this period, in 1958,<ref name="JCOP"/> and working as a [[patent]] attorney and [[in-house counsel]], and for another fifteen years (1969–1984) as director of the Patent, Trademark and Licensing Department.<ref name="JCOP"/>


Later in 1954, Newman returned to the United States and started working for [[FMC Corp.]], receiving a [[Bachelor of Laws]] from [[New York University School of Law]] in 1958,<ref name="JCOP" /> and working as a patent attorney and [[in-house counsel]], and for fifteen years (1969–1984) as director of the Patent, Trademark and Licensing Department.<ref name="JCOP" /> From 1961 to 1962 Newman also worked for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ([[UNESCO]]) as a science policy specialist in the Department of Natural Resources.<ref name="JCOP" /> She served on the State Department Advisory Committee on International Intellectual Property from 1974 to 1984 and on the advisory committee to the Domestic Policy Review of Industrial Innovation from 1978 to 1979.<ref name="JCOP" /> From 1982 to 1984, she was Special Adviser to the United States Delegation to the Diplomatic Conference on the Revision of the [[Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property]]. Over her career, Newman has received honors including the [[Wilbur Cross Medal]] of Yale University Graduate School, and the Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Cooperation from the Pacific Industrial Property Association.<ref name="JCOP" /> In 1982, while serving on a presidential committee on industrial stagnation for President [[Ronald Reagan]], Newman helped create the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]].<ref name="WP 6-6-2023" />
From 1961 to 1962 Newman also worked for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ([[UNESCO]]) as a science policy specialist in the Department of Natural Resources.<ref name="JCOP"/> She served on the State Department Advisory Committee on International Intellectual Property from 1974 to 1984 and on the advisory committee to the Domestic Policy Review of Industrial Innovation from 1978 to 1979.<ref name="JCOP"/> From 1982 to 1984, she was Special Adviser to the United States Delegation to the Diplomatic Conference on the Revision of the [[Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property]]. Over her career, Newman has received honors including the [[Wilbur Cross Medal]] of Yale University Graduate School, and the Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Cooperation from the Pacific Industrial Property Association.<ref name="JCOP"/>


===Federal judicial service===
==Federal judicial service==
⚫
On January 30, 1984, President [[Ronald Reagan]] nominated Newman to a seat on the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]] vacated by Judge [[Philip Nichols Jr.]], who had assumed [[senior status]] in October 1983. Newman was confirmed by the [[United States Senate]] on February 27, 1984, and received her commission the following day. Newman thus became the first judge appointed directly to the Federal Circuit, all of her predecessors having come to the court through the merger of the [[Court of Customs and Patent Appeals]] and the appellate division of the [[United States Court of Federal Claims]]. Newman was also the only judge on the Federal Circuit who did not previously serve on a [[lower court]]. During her time on the court, she has also been an adjunct professor at the [[George Mason University School of Law]].<ref name="JCOP" />


⚫
On January 30, 1984, President [[Ronald Reagan]] nominated Newman to the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]] to a seat vacated by Judge [[Philip Nichols Jr.]], who assumed [[senior status]] on October 1, 1983. She was confirmed by the [[United States Senate]] on February 27, 1984, and received her commission the following day. Newman thus became the first judge appointed directly to the Federal Circuit, all of her predecessors having come to the court through the merger of the [[Court of Customs and Patent Appeals]] and the appellate division of the [[United States Court of Federal Claims]]. She has also been an adjunct professor at the [[George Mason University School of Law]].<ref name="JCOP"/>
⚫
Another judge of the Federal Circuit, [[Giles Rich]], was the oldest active federal judge in the history of the United States when he died 10 days after his 95th birthday in 1999;<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|last1=Oppel|first1=Richard A.|title=Giles S. Rich, Oldest Active Federal Judge, Dies at 95|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/12/business/giles-s-rich-oldest-active-federal-judge-dies-at-95.html|access-date=5 August 2016|work=New York Times|date=June 12, 1999}}</ref><ref name="Fed. Cir. History">{{cite book| title=United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: A History: 1990–2002 |others=Compiled by members of the Advisory Council to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in celebration of the court's twentieth anniversary| location=Washington, D.C.| publisher=U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit| year=2004| lccn=2004050209}}</ref> Newman surpassed that record on June 30, 2022, but "remains an active judge" and has been described as "the court's institutional memory bank".<ref name="Lim" />


⚫
Another judge of the Federal Circuit, [[Giles Rich]], was the oldest active federal judge in the history of the United States when he died 10 days after his 95th birthday in 1999;<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|last1=Oppel|first1=Richard A.|title=Giles S. Rich, Oldest Active Federal Judge, Dies at 95|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/12/business/giles-s-rich-oldest-active-federal-judge-dies-at-95.html|access-date=5 August 2016|work=New York Times|date=June 12, 1999}}</ref><ref name=fedcirhistory>{{cite book| title=United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: A History: 1990–2002 |others=Compiled by members of the Advisory Council to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in celebration of the court's twentieth anniversary| location=Washington, D.C.| publisher=U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit| year=2004| lccn=2004050209}}</ref> Newman surpassed that record on June 30, 2022, but "remains an active judge" and has been described as "the court's institutional memory bank".<ref name="Lim"/>
In 2013, Newman was honored by NYU Law Women as their law alumna of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.nyu.edu/news/PAULINE_NEWMAN_ALUMNA_OF_THE_YEAR |title=Judge Pauline Newman '58 honored by NYU Law Women as Alumna of the Year|publisher=[[NYU Law]]|date=February 20, 2013}}</ref> In 2015, she endowed a lecture series on science, technology, and society, at her undergraduate alma mater, Vassar College, with the inaugural lecture being delivered on April 2, 2015, by [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] president [[Shirley Ann Jackson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vassar.edu/vq/issues/2015/02/vassar-today/sts-series.html |title=Vassar Inaugurates: New Science, Technology, and Society Lecture Series|first1=Elizabeth|last1=Randolph|work=Vassar Today|date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> That same year, Supreme Court Justice [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]] praised Newman for inspiring women with "her intelligence, her diligence, her devotion to a very difficult area of the law".<ref name="WP 6-6-2023"/>


A 2016 ''Law360'' article stated that Newman "built her reputation as the appellate court's most prolific contrarian".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law360.com/articles/767350/newman-cements-status-as-fed-circs-great-dissenter |title=Newman Cements Status As Fed. Circ.'s Great Dissenter|work=[[Law360]]|first1=Vin|last1=Gurrieri|date=March 8, 2016}}</ref> A 2017 analysis of the impact of Newman's dissents has shown that her positions are often adopted by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] on appeal.<ref name="Lim" /> In 2018, she was selected to receive the [[American Inns of Court]] "Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Award for Professionalism and Ethics".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://home.innsofcourt.org/AIC/Awards_and_Scholarships/Lewis_F_Powell_Jr_Award/Powell_Award_Recipient_Profiles/2018_Judge_Pauline_Newman.aspx |title=Judge Pauline Newman: 2018 Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Award for Professionalism and Ethics|publisher=[[American Inns of Court]]|access-date=April 8, 2023}}</ref> In October 2022, Newman endowed and initiated the Pauline Newman Program for Science, Technology and International Law, at NYU Law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iilj.org/PNP/ |title=Pauline Newman Program: Science, Technology, and International Law|publisher=[[NYU Law]]|date=October 28, 2022}}</ref> In remarks published in 2023, Federal Circuit Chief Judge Moore said that "there can be no doubt that Judge Newman is the heroine of the patent system".<ref name="WP 6-6-2023"/>
In 2013, Newman was honored by NYU Law Women as their law alumna of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law.nyu.edu/news/PAULINE_NEWMAN_ALUMNA_OF_THE_YEAR |title=Judge Pauline Newman '58 honored by NYU Law Women as Alumna of the Year|publisher=[[NYU Law]]|date=February 20, 2013}}</ref> In 2015, she endowed a lecture series on science, technology, and society, at her undergraduate alma mater, Vassar University, with the inaugural lecture being delivered on April 2, 2015, by [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] president [[Shirley Ann Jackson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vassar.edu/vq/issues/2015/02/vassar-today/sts-series.html |title=Vassar Inaugurates: New Science, Technology, and Society Lecture Series|first1=Elizabeth|last1=Randolph|work=Vassar Today|date=April 2, 2015}}</ref> In 2018, she was selected to receive the [[American Inns of Court]] "Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Award for Professionalism and Ethics".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://home.innsofcourt.org/AIC/Awards_and_Scholarships/Lewis_F_Powell_Jr_Award/Powell_Award_Recipient_Profiles/2018_Judge_Pauline_Newman.aspx |title=Judge Pauline Newman: 2018 Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Award for Professionalism and Ethics|publisher=[[American Inns of Court]]|access-date=April 8, 2023}}</ref> In October 2022, Newman endowed and initiated the Pauline Newman Program for Science, Technology and International Law, at NYU Law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iilj.org/PNP/ |title=Pauline Newman Program: Science, Technology, and International Law|publisher=[[NYU Law]]|date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>

In September 2023, Newman spoke at the National Vaccine Law Conference at [[George Washington University]], advocating for greater consideration into the effect of patent law on the advancement of technologies like vaccines, stating, "we must understand not just how the present law applies, but also to understand if it's anything less than optimum, it's in our hands".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/embattled-us-appeals-judge-takes-stage-vaccine-law-conference-2023-09-15/ |title=Embattled US appeals judge takes stage at vaccine law conference|first1=Blake|last1=Brittain|work=Reuters|date=September 15, 2023}}</ref>


===Jurisprudence===
===Jurisprudence===
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<blockquote>At the core of Judge Newman's dissenting jurisprudence is the premise that the sovereign as a contracting party should be accountable for its actions, subject only to limited exceptions not to be presumed, unnecessarily expanded, or imposed in a formalistic doctrinaire way that ignores or masks the facts of government conduct. Where the facts justify it, contractors should be entitled to a 'fair and just' remedy, and the Federal Circuit is there to make sure this happens.</blockquote>
<blockquote>At the core of Judge Newman's dissenting jurisprudence is the premise that the sovereign as a contracting party should be accountable for its actions, subject only to limited exceptions not to be presumed, unnecessarily expanded, or imposed in a formalistic doctrinaire way that ignores or masks the facts of government conduct. Where the facts justify it, contractors should be entitled to a 'fair and just' remedy, and the Federal Circuit is there to make sure this happens.</blockquote>


In 2015 Newman was the only dissenter in ''[[Ariosa v. Sequenom]]'', where she criticized Federal Circuit's position on patent-eligible subject matter (claims preempting the use of the laws of Nature), following the [[SCOTUS]] decision in ''[[Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc.]]'' Instead of inconsistent interpretation of [[patentable subject matter]] by different courts at different times (i.e. requiring additional "inventive concepts" to transform a newly discovered Law of Nature into a patentable claim) Newman maintains, that claims, limited to a small number of routine applications of new discoveries, should be allowed, because such claims do not “preempt further study of this science, nor the development of additional applications". Gene Quinn and Nancy Braman, writing for ''IPWatchdog'', praised Judge Newman's position in this case, stating [her] "dissent in Ariosa would be a way forward for the Federal Circuit and would be in keeping with the admonition from the Supreme Court that [[United States patent law#Patentable subject matter (§101)|§101]] not be used to swallow all of patent law."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ipwatchdog.com/2019/07/16/consider-courage-judge-newman-federal-circuit/id=111312/|title=Consider the Courage of Judge Newman at the Federal Circuit|first1=Gene|last1=Quinn|first2=Nancy|last2=Braman|work=IPWatchdog|date=July 16, 2019}}</ref>
In 2015 Newman was the only dissenter in [[Ariosa v. Sequenom]], where she criticized [[Federal Circuit's]] position on patent-eligible subject matter (claims preempting the use of the laws of Nature), following the [[SCOTUS]] decision in [[Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc.]] Instead of inconsistent interpretation of [[patentable subject matter]] by different courts at different times (i.e. requiring additional "inventive concepts" to transform a newly discovered Law of Nature into a patentable claim) Newman maintains, that claims, limited to a small number of routine applications of new discoveries, should be allowed, because such claims do not “preempt further study of this science, nor the development of additional applications". [[Gene Quinn]] praised Judge Newman's position in this case, stating [her] "dissent in Ariosa would be a way forward for the Federal Circuit and would be in keeping with the admonition from the Supreme Court that 101 not be used to swallow all of patent law."<ref>https://ipwatchdog.com/2019/07/16/consider-courage-judge-newman-federal-circuit/id=111312/</ref>


A 2016 ''Law360'' article stated that Newman "built her reputation as the appellate court's most prolific contrarian".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.law360.com/articles/767350/newman-cements-status-as-fed-circs-great-dissenter |title=Newman Cements Status As Fed. Circ.'s Great Dissenter|work=[[Law360]]|first1=Vin|last1=Gurrieri|date=March 8, 2016}}</ref> A 2017 analysis of the impact of Newman's dissents has shown that her positions are often adopted by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] on appeal.<ref name="Lim"/>
In ''[[Merck KGaA v. Integra Lifesciences I, Ltd.]]'' (2005) the [[SCOTUS]] not only changed the state of the law to reflect what Judge Newman had written, but they cited her outright in the opinion.<ref>Darin Klemchuk, Judge Pauline Newman Reflects on 30 Years of the Federal Circuit, KLEMCHUK LLP (Aug. 22, 2012) http://www.klemchuk.com/231-judge-pauline-newman-reflectson-30-years-of-the-federal-circuit/ [https://perma.cc/B72Y-DMUZ]. See also Shirley Ann Jackson, The New Polytechnic: Addressing Global Challenges, Transforming the World (Apr. 2, 2015) http://president.rpi.edu/speeches/2015/new-polytechnic-addressing-global-challengestransforming-world [https://perma.cc/JSQ6-KSQV].</ref>


In April 2023, Newman published a noted dissent in ''[[SAS Institute Inc v. World Programming Ltd.#US lawsuit (subsequent filing)|SAS Institute Inc v. World Programming Ltd.]]'', asserting that the majority had conflated infringement and copyrightability questions, and failed to enunciate the burden of proof.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/04/06/newman-dissents-cafc-view-sas-failed-show-copyrightability-nonliteral-elements-software-programs/id=159108/ |title=Newman Dissents from CAFC View that SAS Failed to Show Copyrightability of Nonliteral Elements of Software Programs|first1=Eileen|last1=McDermott|work=IPWatchdog|date=April 6, 2023}}</ref>
In April 2023, Newman published a noted dissent in ''[[SAS Institute Inc v. World Programming Ltd.#US lawsuit (subsequent filing)|SAS Institute Inc v. World Programming Ltd.]]'', asserting that the majority had conflated infringement and copyrightability questions, and failed to enunciate the burden of proof.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/04/06/newman-dissents-cafc-view-sas-failed-show-copyrightability-nonliteral-elements-software-programs/id=159108/ |title=Newman Dissents from CAFC View that SAS Failed to Show Copyrightability of Nonliteral Elements of Software Programs|first1=Eileen|last1=McDermott|work=IPWatchdog|date=April 6, 2023}}</ref>


===Investigation===
===Investigation===
⚫
In April 2023, it was reported that 96-year old Newman was investigated by the court over whether she can continue on as an active judge, due to her excessively long times to submit judicial opinions.<ref name="BLaw 4-13-2023">{{Cite web|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/federal-circuit-chief-moore-takes-action-to-unseat-judge-newman |title=Federal Circuit Chief Moore Takes Action to Unseat Judge Newman|work=[[Bloomberg Law]]|first1=Riddhi|last1=Setty|first2=Michael|last2=Shapiro|date=April 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-appeals-court-judge-faces-rare-probe-into-competency-misconduct-2023-04-14/ |title=U.S. appeals court judge faces rare probe into competency, misconduct|first1=Blake|last1=Brittain|first2=Andrew|last2=Goudsward|date=April 14, 2023|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref name="IPWatchdog 4-12">{{Cite web|url=https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/04/12/chief-judge-moore-petitioning-oust-judge-newman-federal-circuit/id=159393/|title=Chief Judge Moore Petitioning to Oust Judge Newman from Federal Circuit|work=IPWatchdog|first1=Gene|last1=Quinn|date=April 12, 2023}}</ref> In response to reports questioning Newman's competence, [[Mercer University]] professor David Hricik, writing for ''[[Patently-O]]'', stated:
====Initiation====
⚫
In April 2023, it was reported that Chief Judge [[Kimberly A. Moore]] had demanded an evaluation of whether 95-year-old Newman can keep up with a case load expected for a Federal Circuit judge.<ref name="BLaw 4-13-2023">{{Cite web|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/federal-circuit-chief-moore-takes-action-to-unseat-judge-newman |title=Federal Circuit Chief Moore Takes Action to Unseat Judge Newman|work=[[Bloomberg Law]]|first1=Riddhi|last1=Setty|first2=Michael|last2=Shapiro|date=April 13, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-appeals-court-judge-faces-rare-probe-into-competency-misconduct-2023-04-14/ |title=U.S. appeals court judge faces rare probe into competency, misconduct|first1=Blake|last1=Brittain|first2=Andrew|last2=Goudsward|date=April 14, 2023|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref name="IPWatchdog 4-12">{{Cite web|url=https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/04/12/chief-judge-moore-petitioning-oust-judge-newman-federal-circuit/id=159393/|title=Chief Judge Moore Petitioning to Oust Judge Newman from Federal Circuit|work=IPWatchdog|first1=Gene|last1=Quinn|date=April 12, 2023}}</ref> A document supporting the investigation contained an anonymous claim that Newman engaged in "paranoid" and "bizarre" behavior.<ref name="WP 6-6-2023" /> In response to reports questioning Newman's competence, [[Mercer University]] professor David Hricik, writing for ''[[Patently-O]]'', stated:


{{quote|I saw Judge Newman (with [[Alan David Lourie|Judge Lourie]] and former [[Kathleen M. O'Malley|Judge O'Malley]]) speak at the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office|USPTO]] three weeks ago. (I was there speaking on patent ethics.) Judge Newman was eloquent, coherent, cogent, and spoke passionately about various topics, including section 101 (which requires a bit of mental agility, I would say).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patentlyo.com/hricik/2023/04/opinion-reported-unprecedented.html |title=An Opinion on Chief Judge Moore's Reported Unprecedented Effort to Remove Judge Newman|first1=David|last1=Hricik|work=[[Patently-O]]|date=April 14, 2023}}</ref>}}
{{quote|I saw Judge Newman (with [[Alan David Lourie|Judge Lourie]] and former [[Kathleen M. O'Malley|Judge O'Malley]]) speak at at the USPTO three weeks ago. (I was there speaking on patent ethics.) Judge Newman was eloquent, coherent, cogent, and spoke passionately about various topics, including section 101 (which requires a bit of mental agility, I would say).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patentlyo.com/hricik/2023/04/opinion-reported-unprecedented.html |title=An Opinion on Chief Judge Moore’s Reported Unprecedented Effort to Remove Judge Newman|first1=David|last1=Hricik|work=[[Patently-O]]|date=April 14, 2023}}</ref>}}


The initial report by Gene Quinn for ''IPWatchdog'' also noted that "Newman has filed dissenting opinions in at least two recent cases that show no signs she is suffering from any disability", stating that these were "classic Newman dissents, do not read as if they were written by law clerks, and do not show signs of decline or disability".<ref name="IPWatchdog 4-12" /> In June 2023, former Chief Judge [[Randall Rader]] stated in ''[[The Washington Post]]'' that he had spoken with Newman recently, and that she was "the same Polly I knew 10 or 20 years ago — as sharp as ever".<ref name="WP 6-6-2023" />
The initial report by Gene Quinn for ''IPWatchdog'' also noted that "Newman has filed dissenting opinions in at least two recent cases that show no signs she is suffering from any disability", stating that these were "classic Newman dissents, do not read as if they were written by law clerks, and do not show signs of decline or disability".<ref name="IPWatchdog 4-12"//>


On April 14, the Federal Circuit Judicial Council, released a statement and unsealed orders dated March 24, 2023, and April 13, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cafc.uscourts.gov/statement-of-the-judicial-council-of-the-federal-circuit/ |title=Statement of the Judicial Council of the Federal Circuit|date=April 14, 2023}}</ref> The March 24, 2023, order alleged that unnamed court staff and judges had raised concerns about potential impairments of Newman's cognitive abilities and other concerns.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cafc.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/March%2024,%202023%20Order.pdf |title=March 24, 2023 Order |date=March 24, 2023}}</ref>
On April 14, 2023, however, the Federal Circuit Judicial Council, released a statement and unsealed Orders dated March 24, 2023 and April 13, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cafc.uscourts.gov/statement-of-the-judicial-council-of-the-federal-circuit/ |title=Statement of the Judicial Council of the Federal Circuit|date=April 14, 2023}}</ref> The March 24, 2023 Order alleged that court staff and judges had raised concerns about potential impairments of Newman's cognitive abilities and other concerns.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cafc.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/March%2024,%202023%20Order.pdf |title=March 24, 2023 Order |date=March 24, 2023}}</ref>


Quinn also questioned why Newman would have been offered an opportunity to assume [[senior status]], and continue hearing cases in that status, if there were questions about her competence to hear cases at all.<ref name="IPWatchdog 4-12" /> In a report for [[Bloomberg Law]], Professor Arthur Hellman of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law noted that senior status judges only hear cases "at the pleasure of the chief judge", and speculated that the prospect of getting no cases could explain why Newman would have rejected going to senior status.<ref name="BLaw 4-13-2023" /> In an interview with ''The Washington Post'', Newman explained her refusal to leave office, "It's important to the nation, if I can say so... I feel that I can make a contribution and must. That's what I was appointed to do".<ref name="WP 6-6-2023" />
Quinn also questioned why Newman would have been offered an opportunity to assume [[senior status]], and continue hearing cases in that status, if there were questions about her competence to hear cases at all.<ref name="IPWatchdog 4-12"/> In a report for [[Bloomberg Law]], however, Professor Arthur Hellman of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law noted that senior-status judges only hear cases "at the pleasure of the chief judge", and speculated that the prospect of getting no cases could explain why Newman would have rejected going to senior status.<ref name="BLaw 4-13-2023"/>

====Lawsuit====
On May 10, Newman filed a lawsuit against Moore and others in the [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia]], to prevent them from investigating whether she can continue to serve as a circuit judge of the court because of her health.<ref name="Reuters 2023-05-11">{{Cite news|last=Brittain|first=Blake|title=US appeals court judge sues to halt competency probe|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-appeals-court-judge-sues-halt-competency-probe-2023-05-11/|publisher=Reuters|access-date=May 10, 2023|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Newman v. Moore, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, 1:23-cv-01334 - CourtListener.com |url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67362470/newman-v-moore/ |website=CourtListener |language=en-us}}</ref> The filing noted that Newman had been given "only a few days to comply with requests for mental evaluations and her private medical records".<ref name="Reuters 2023-05-11" /> On May 16, the Federal Circuit ordered Newman to release her medical records to investigate her alleged cognitive decline.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Griffis|first=Kelcee|title='Paranoid' Incidents Necessitate Newman Exam, Fed. Cir. Says|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/paranoid-incidents-necessitate-newman-exam-fed-cir-says|website=news.bloomberglaw.com|access-date=May 16, 2023|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Thomsen|first=Jacqueline|title=US federal judge, 95, faces fresh competency claims as she fights probe|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-federal-judge-95-faces-fresh-competency-claims-she-fights-probe-2023-05-17/|publisher=Reuters|access-date=May 16, 2023|language=en}}</ref> On May 18, in response to the controversy, the office of United States House Judiciary Committee chair [[Jim Jordan]] stated that "Judge Newman is an exemplary jurist who has long stood for the Constitution and earned every right to keep her seat on the bench and make decisions about her future herself".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/medical-exam-demands-and-aging-judges-newman-saga-explained|title=Medical Exam Demands and Aging Judges: Newman Saga Explained|first1=Kelcee|last1=Griffis|first2=Robert|last2=Iafolla|website=news.bloomberglaw.com|date=May 18, 2023}}</ref>

On June 6, it was announced that Newman would not be assigned to hear new cases until the investigation is complete.<ref>{{Cite web|title=IN RE COMPLAINT NO. 23-90015|url=https://cafc.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/JudicialMisconductOrders/June%205,%202023%20Judicial%20Council%20Order.pdf|website=cafc.uscourts.gov|access-date=June 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=June 5, 2023|last=Griffs|first=Kelcee|title=Newman Again Denied New Cases Amid Judicial Fitness Probe (1)|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/newman-again-denied-new-case-load-amid-judicial-fitness-probe|website=Bloomberg Law|access-date=June 6, 2023}}</ref> At the same time, it was reported that the focus of the investigation had shifted from the judge's competency to her alleged failure to cooperate with the investigation by refusing to turn over medical records and submit to a neurological examination,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/probe-us-appeals-judge-focus-failure-cooperate-2023-06-06/ |title=Probe of US appeals judge to focus on failure to cooperate|work=[[Reuters]]|first1=Andrew|last1=Goudsward|date=June 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/96-year-old-judges-fitness-hearing-will-stay-closed-to-public|title=96-Year-Old Judge's Fitness Hearing Will Stay Closed to Public|website=news.bloomberglaw.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cafc.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/JudicialMisconductOrders/June%2020,%202023%20Order.pdf |title=Order|date=June 20, 2023}}</ref> a development referred to in a ''[[Law360]]'' piece as "Kafkaesque".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/1684955/judge-newman-s-recent-dissents-show-she-is-fit-for-service |title=Judge Newman's Recent Dissents Show She Is Fit For Service|work=[[Law360]]|first1=Andrew|last1=Michaels|date=June 6, 2023}}</ref>

On June 28, [[Bloomberg News]] reported that Newman's lawyers, with the [[New Civil Liberties Alliance]], had filed information with the court stating that Ted L. Rothstein, a neurologist and professor at the [[George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences]] had "examined the judge and found 'no significant cognitive deficits'", concluding that her "cognitive function is sufficient to continue her participation in her court's proceedings".<ref name="Bloomberg 6-28-2023">{{cite web|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/judge-96-mourns-tarnished-legacy-while-saying-she-wont-leave |title=Judge, 96, Mourns Tarnished Legacy While Saying She Won't Leave|first1=Kelcee|last1=Griffis|work=[[Bloomberg News]]|date=June 28, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Michel">{{Cite web|url=https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/07/09/chief-judge-moore-v-judge-newman-unacceptable-breakdown-court-governance-collegiality-procedural-fairness/id=163181/|title=Chief Judge Moore v. Judge Newman: An Unacceptable Breakdown of Court Governance, Collegiality and Procedural Fairness|first1=Paul|last1=Michel|author-link1=Paul Redmond Michel|work=IPWatchdog|date=July 9, 2023}}</ref> A Bloomberg reporter who sat with Newman for an hour-long interview for the story described Newman as "fully in command, answering questions about complicated legal matters with authority while shuffling large case binders around her office without assistance".<ref name="Bloomberg 6-28-2023"/> In September 2023, Newman's NCLA lawyers released an additional report from forensic psychiatrist Regina Carney finding Newman to be an "unusually cognitively intact 96-year-old woman" with "no evidence of current substantial medical, psychiatric, or cognitive disability".<ref name="Reuters 9-7-2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/lawyers-say-exam-shows-96-year-old-us-appeals-judge-still-fit-serve-2023-09-07/ |title=Lawyers say exam shows 96-year-old US appeals judge still fit to serve|first1=David|last1=Thomas|work=[[Reuters]]|date=September 7, 2023}}</ref>

On July 11, Judge [[Christopher R. Cooper]] of the District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order requiring the parties to the dispute to enter into mediation, to be conducted by retired D.C. Circuit Judge [[Thomas B. Griffith]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/clash-over-us-judges-competency-probe-heads-into-mediation-2023-07-11/ |title=Clash over US judge's competency probe heads into mediation|first=Andrew|last=Goudsward|date=July 11, 2023|via=www.reuters.com}}</ref> On August 4, 2023, a Federal Circuit panel, composed of Judges Moore, [[Sharon Prost]], and [[Richard G. Taranto]], recommended suspending Newman from hearing cases for one year over her alleged failure to cooperate with the investigation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/federal-circuit-panel-votes-to-suspend-judge-newman-for-a-year|title=96-Year Old Judge Newman Faces Year Suspension After Panel Vote|website=news.bloomberglaw.com|first1=Michael|last1=Shapiro|date=August 4, 2023}}</ref> Rothstein, the neurologist, criticized the court for misrepresenting his findings in the document recommending Newman's suspension.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/doctor-who-examined-96-year-old-judge-slams-suspension-report |title=Doctor Who Examined 96-Year-Old Judge Slams Suspension, Report|work=[[Bloomberg Law]]|first1=Michael|last1=Shapiro|date=August 8, 2023}}</ref> Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judge [[Edith Jones]], in a letter subsequently published in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', described the refusal of the Federal Circuit to transfer the case to another circuit for review as "inexplicable".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-pauline-newman-due-process-federal-circuit-7e833f21?st=797qs89pwztrlso |title=Federal Judges Deserve Due Process, Too|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|first1=Edith H.|last1=Jones|authorlink1=Edith Jones|date=August 15, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/us-appeals-judge-faults-probe-federal-circuits-pauline-newman-2023-08-15/ |title=US appeals judge faults probe of Federal Circuit's Pauline Newman|first1=Andrew|last1=Goudsward|work=[[Reuters]]|date=August 16, 2023}}</ref>

====Suspension====
On September 20, 2023, Newman was suspended by the Federal Circuit's Judicial Council from hearing new cases for one year.<ref name = AP/><ref name="WP Suspended">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/09/20/newman-suspended-federal-judge-retirement/ |title=96-year-old judge who refuses to retire suspended for 'misconduct'|first1=Rachel|last1=Weiner|work=The Washington Post|date=September 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://cafc.uscourts.gov/wp-content/uploads/JudicialMisconductOrders/September%2020,%202023%20Judicial%20Council%20Order.pdf |title=IN RE COMPLAINT NO. 23-90015: Order of the Judicial Council of the Federal Circuit|date=September 20, 2023}}</ref> The suspension is renewable, should Newman not comply with the Judicial Council's requests.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/96-year-old-judge-suspended-a-year-by-fed-circuit-colleagues|title=Embattled 96-Year-Old Judge Suspended in Disability Probe|first1=Michael|last1=Shapiro|website=news.bloomberglaw.com|date=}}</ref> Newman is expected to appeal on constitutional grounds, with Professor Hellman noting that "it is the functional equivalent of removing the judge from office".<ref name="WP Suspended"/> Following the suspension, former Chief Judge Rader published an [[open letter]] in ''IP Watchdog'' stating that Newman "does not suffer from the slightest mental decline", and imploring the members of the court to "act with kindness and consideration".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ipwatchdog.com/2023/09/21/open-letter-circuit-judges-court-appeals-federal-circuit/id=167002/ |title=An Open Letter to Circuit Judges on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit|first1=Randall|last1=Rader|date=September 21, 2023}}</ref> Former Chief Judge [[Paul Redmond Michel]] also published such a letter, expressing concerns about the effect of these proceedings on "first, the integrity of the court; second, the interests of parties seeking justice at the Federal Circuit; and third, procedural fairness and balance".<ref name="Michel"/>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
⚫
* {{FJC Bio|1756|nid=1385691|name=Pauline Newman<!--(1927–)-->}}


==External links==
==External links==
⚫
*[http://fora.tv/2006/09/13/Judge_Pauline_Newman Judge Newman speaks about the Federal Circuit]
⚫
* {{FJC Bio|1756|nid=1385691|name=Pauline Newman<!--(1927–)-->}}
⚫
* [http://fora.tv/2006/09/13/Judge_Pauline_Newman Judge Newman speaks about the Federal Circuit]


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Revision as of 03:02, 28 October 2023

For labor activist and unionist, see Pauline Newman (labor activist).
Pauline Newman
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 28, 1984
Appointed byRonald Reagan
Preceded byPhilip Nichols Jr.
Personal details
Born (1927-06-20) June 20, 1927 (age 97)
New York City, New York
EducationVassar College (BA)
Columbia University (MA)
Yale University (PhD)
New York University School of Law (LLB)

Pauline Newman (born June 20, 1927) is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Education and career

Born in New York City, New York to Maxwell H. and Rosella G. Newman, Newman received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vassar College in 1947, with a double major in chemistry and philosophy, followed by a Master of Arts from Columbia University in 1948.[1] She "sought to be a physician, but changed her mind",[2] receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry from Yale University in 1952.[1] She worked as a research scientist for American Cyanamid from 1951 to 1954. From 1954 to 1984, Newman worked for FMC Corp., for fifteen years (1954–1969), receiving a Bachelor of Laws from New York University School of Law during this period, in 1958,[1] and working as a patent attorney and in-house counsel, and for another fifteen years (1969–1984) as director of the Patent, Trademark and Licensing Department.[1]

From 1961 to 1962 Newman also worked for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a science policy specialist in the Department of Natural Resources.[1] She served on the State Department Advisory Committee on International Intellectual Property from 1974 to 1984 and on the advisory committee to the Domestic Policy Review of Industrial Innovation from 1978 to 1979.[1] From 1982 to 1984, she was Special Adviser to the United States Delegation to the Diplomatic Conference on the Revision of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. Over her career, Newman has received honors including the Wilbur Cross Medal of Yale University Graduate School, and the Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Cooperation from the Pacific Industrial Property Association.[1]

Federal judicial service

On January 30, 1984, President Ronald Reagan nominated Newman to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to a seat vacated by Judge Philip Nichols Jr., who assumed senior status on October 1, 1983. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 27, 1984, and received her commission the following day. Newman thus became the first judge appointed directly to the Federal Circuit, all of her predecessors having come to the court through the merger of the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the appellate division of the United States Court of Federal Claims. She has also been an adjunct professor at the George Mason University School of Law.[1]

Another judge of the Federal Circuit, Giles Rich, was the oldest active federal judge in the history of the United States when he died 10 days after his 95th birthday in 1999;[3][4] Newman surpassed that record on June 30, 2022, but "remains an active judge" and has been described as "the court's institutional memory bank".[2]

In 2013, Newman was honored by NYU Law Women as their law alumna of the year.[5] In 2015, she endowed a lecture series on science, technology, and society, at her undergraduate alma mater, Vassar University, with the inaugural lecture being delivered on April 2, 2015, by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute president Shirley Ann Jackson.[6] In 2018, she was selected to receive the American Inns of Court "Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Award for Professionalism and Ethics".[7] In October 2022, Newman endowed and initiated the Pauline Newman Program for Science, Technology and International Law, at NYU Law.[8]

Jurisprudence

Newman has authored a number of important opinions setting forth the law of patents in the United States. In Arrhythmia Research Technology, Inc. v. Corazonix Corp.,[9] she wrote an opinion for the panel finding that the use of an algorithm as a step in a process did not render the process unpatentable. In In re Recreative Technologies Corp.,[10] she wrote the opinion finding that the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences exceeded its authority when it considered a claim of obviousness in the reexamination of a patent previously held by the examiner not to be obvious with respect to the references cited. In Intergraph Corporation v. Intel Corporation,[11] she highlighted the right of a patent owner to refuse to license, even to a party that has become completely dependent on the patent. In Jazz Photo Corp. v. United States International Trade Commission,[12] she clarified the law of repair and reconstruction (permitting the owner of a patented item to fix the item when it breaks, but not to essentially build a new item from the parts of an old one), writing that it was not a patent infringement for one party to restore another party's patented "one-use" camera to be used a second time.

With respect to the court's federal contracts jurisprudence, in 2010 she wrote a dissenting opinion in M. Maropakis Carpentry, Inc. v. United States. Stanfield Johnson has called her the court's "great dissenter", and has said that her dissents in the area of federal contracts "consistently reflect the view that a primary responsibility of the court is to serve 'the national policy of fairness to contractors'". He writes:[13]

At the core of Judge Newman's dissenting jurisprudence is the premise that the sovereign as a contracting party should be accountable for its actions, subject only to limited exceptions not to be presumed, unnecessarily expanded, or imposed in a formalistic doctrinaire way that ignores or masks the facts of government conduct. Where the facts justify it, contractors should be entitled to a 'fair and just' remedy, and the Federal Circuit is there to make sure this happens.

In 2015 Newman was the only dissenter in Ariosa v. Sequenom, where she criticized Federal Circuit's position on patent-eligible subject matter (claims preempting the use of the laws of Nature), following the SCOTUS decision in Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc. Instead of inconsistent interpretation of patentable subject matter by different courts at different times (i.e. requiring additional "inventive concepts" to transform a newly discovered Law of Nature into a patentable claim) Newman maintains, that claims, limited to a small number of routine applications of new discoveries, should be allowed, because such claims do not “preempt further study of this science, nor the development of additional applications". Gene Quinn praised Judge Newman's position in this case, stating [her] "dissent in Ariosa would be a way forward for the Federal Circuit and would be in keeping with the admonition from the Supreme Court that 101 not be used to swallow all of patent law."[14]

A 2016 Law360 article stated that Newman "built her reputation as the appellate court's most prolific contrarian".[15] A 2017 analysis of the impact of Newman's dissents has shown that her positions are often adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States on appeal.[2]

In April 2023, Newman published a noted dissent in SAS Institute Inc v. World Programming Ltd., asserting that the majority had conflated infringement and copyrightability questions, and failed to enunciate the burden of proof.[16]

Investigation

In April 2023, it was reported that 96-year old Newman was investigated by the court over whether she can continue on as an active judge, due to her excessively long times to submit judicial opinions.[17][18][19] In response to reports questioning Newman's competence, Mercer University professor David Hricik, writing for Patently-O, stated:

I saw Judge Newman (with Judge Lourie and former Judge O'Malley) speak at at the USPTO three weeks ago. (I was there speaking on patent ethics.) Judge Newman was eloquent, coherent, cogent, and spoke passionately about various topics, including section 101 (which requires a bit of mental agility, I would say).[20]

The initial report by Gene Quinn for IPWatchdog also noted that "Newman has filed dissenting opinions in at least two recent cases that show no signs she is suffering from any disability", stating that these were "classic Newman dissents, do not read as if they were written by law clerks, and do not show signs of decline or disability".[19]

On April 14, 2023, however, the Federal Circuit Judicial Council, released a statement and unsealed Orders dated March 24, 2023 and April 13, 2023.[21] The March 24, 2023 Order alleged that court staff and judges had raised concerns about potential impairments of Newman's cognitive abilities and other concerns.[22]

Quinn also questioned why Newman would have been offered an opportunity to assume senior status, and continue hearing cases in that status, if there were questions about her competence to hear cases at all.[19] In a report for Bloomberg Law, however, Professor Arthur Hellman of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law noted that senior-status judges only hear cases "at the pleasure of the chief judge", and speculated that the prospect of getting no cases could explain why Newman would have rejected going to senior status.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Joint Committee on Printing, Official Congressional Directory, 2011–2012: 112th Congress (2012), p. 855.
  2. ^ a b c Daryl Lim, "I Dissent: The Federal Circuit's "Great Dissenter", Her Influence on the Patent Dialogue, and Why It Matters", 19 Vand. J. Ent. & Tech. 873 (2017).
  3. ^ Oppel, Richard A. (June 12, 1999). "Giles S. Rich, Oldest Active Federal Judge, Dies at 95". New York Times. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  4. ^ United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: A History: 1990–2002. Compiled by members of the Advisory Council to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in celebration of the court's twentieth anniversary. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 2004. LCCN 2004050209.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ "Judge Pauline Newman '58 honored by NYU Law Women as Alumna of the Year". NYU Law. February 20, 2013.
  6. ^ Randolph, Elizabeth (April 2, 2015). "Vassar Inaugurates: New Science, Technology, and Society Lecture Series". Vassar Today.
  7. ^ "Judge Pauline Newman: 2018 Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Award for Professionalism and Ethics". American Inns of Court. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  8. ^ "Pauline Newman Program: Science, Technology, and International Law". NYU Law. October 28, 2022.
  9. ^ 958 F.2d 1053 (Fed. Cir. 1992).
  10. ^ 83 F.3d 1394 (Fed. Cir. 1996).
  11. ^ Intergraph Corporation v. Intel Corporation, 195 F.3d 1346 (Fed. Cir. 1999).
  12. ^ 264 F. 3d 1094 (Fed. Cir. 2001).
  13. ^ Schooner, Steven L. (2011-04-14). A Random Walk: The Federal Circuit's 2010 Government Contracts Decisions. Rochester, NY: Social Science Research Network. SSRN 1809917.
  14. ^ https://ipwatchdog.com/2019/07/16/consider-courage-judge-newman-federal-circuit/id=111312/
  15. ^ Gurrieri, Vin (March 8, 2016). "Newman Cements Status As Fed. Circ.'s Great Dissenter". Law360.
  16. ^ McDermott, Eileen (April 6, 2023). "Newman Dissents from CAFC View that SAS Failed to Show Copyrightability of Nonliteral Elements of Software Programs". IPWatchdog.
  17. ^ a b Setty, Riddhi; Shapiro, Michael (April 13, 2023). "Federal Circuit Chief Moore Takes Action to Unseat Judge Newman". Bloomberg Law.
  18. ^ Brittain, Blake; Goudsward, Andrew (April 14, 2023). "U.S. appeals court judge faces rare probe into competency, misconduct". Reuters.
  19. ^ a b c Quinn, Gene (April 12, 2023). "Chief Judge Moore Petitioning to Oust Judge Newman from Federal Circuit". IPWatchdog.
  20. ^ Hricik, David (April 14, 2023). "An Opinion on Chief Judge Moore's Reported Unprecedented Effort to Remove Judge Newman". Patently-O.
  21. ^ "Statement of the Judicial Council of the Federal Circuit". April 14, 2023.
  22. ^ "March 24, 2023 Order" (PDF). March 24, 2023.

Sources

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
1984–present 		Incumbent
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