On Friday, October 30, 2009, the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review hosted The Federal Circuit as an Institution, a symposium exploring the wide variety of views and perspectives on the success of the Federal Circuit. Legal scholars, judges, and leading practitioners attended the live symposium to take part in the discussion of the history and the success of the Federal Circuit as an Institution.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was uniquely created by Congress to guide and dominate the patent system. The premise of the Federal Circuit's creation was widespread dissatisfaction with the confusion and uncertainty that followed from regional circuit involvement in patent law. Since its creation, it has become a powerful force, expanding its influence over a number of areas of patent law, even as patents have increased in complexity and significance to the national economy. But as the institutional design imagined by Congress has been realized, there has been steadily increasing interest and debate concerning the success of the court as an institution. From a variety of theoretical and empirical perspectives, the symposium on The Federal Circuit as an Institution, hosted by the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review explored the question of how well the Federal Circuit is meeting its mandate to provide a more useful and efficient patent law, and by extension, patent system.

The Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review was delighted to have the Honorable S. Jay Plager, Circuit Judge of the Federal Circuit, participate as the symposium's Keynote speaker.

Articles from the symposium are available in the Spring 2010 issue of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review.

Program
2009
Friday, October 30th
8:00 AM

Welcome Address

Victor Gold, Loyola Law School - Los Angeles

8:00 AM

8:15 AM

The Role of the Federal Circuit

R. Polk Wagner, University of Pennsylvania Law School
Colleen V. Chien, Santa Clara University School of Law
Christopher A. Cotropia, University of Richmond School of Law
Rochelle C. Dreyfuss, New York University School of Law

8:15 AM

10:05 AM

On Doctrinal Quality and Limits to Determinancy

Jeffrey Lefstin, University of California, Hastings College of Law
Lee Petherbridge, Loyola Law School - Los Angeles
David McGowan, University of San Diego School of Law
Michael J. Meurer, Boston University School of Law
Dan L. Burk, University of California, Irvine, School of Law

10:05 AM

12:30 PM

Keynote Speaker

S. Jay Plager, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

12:30 PM

1:45 PM

Patent Law Uncertainty

Richard Gruner, The John Marshall Law School
David L. Schwartz, Chicago-Kent College of Law
Kelly Casey Mullally, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School
Ted Sichelman, University of San Diego School of Law

1:45 PM

3:20 PM

A Practitioner's View on the Role and Impact of the Federal Circuit

Donald R. Dunner, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP
Joseph R. Re, Knobbe Martens Olsen Bear LLP
William C. Rooklidge, Howrey LLP
Marilyn L. Huff, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

3:20 PM