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U.S. Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit to Hear Cases at W&L Law

On Wednesday, March 23, Washington and Lee School of Law will host the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for oral argument. W&L also has been named the “continuity of operations” site for the Court.

The court session will begin at 10 a.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room, Sydney Lewis Hall on the campus of Washington and Lee University. The session is open to the public. Use of electronic devices is prohibited. No audio recordings or photography is permitted while the Court is in session.

Established in 1982 under Article III of the Constitution, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is unique among other appeals courts in that it is the only appeals court defined by its jurisdiction rather than geographical boundaries.  The Court has nationwide jurisdiction in a variety of subject areas including but not limited to international trade, government contracts, patents, and trademarks.

As the continuity of operations location for the Federal Circuit Appeals court, W&L will serve as the home of the Court if for some reason it is unable to convene in Washington, D.C. As part of this designation, the Court will hear cases in Lexington each year.

During the upcoming visit to W&L, the Court will consider two cases. Slated for oral argument are Grandeye Limited v. Google, a dispute over a patent related to rendering images in a virtual environment; and Milik v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, which involves the contention that a measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine caused a child to develop spastic diplegia.

A question and answer period with the judges will follow the Court session.