Law Alumni Fill Prestigious Federal Circuit Clerkships

The University of Iowa College of Law has had something of a permanent presence in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit during the last few years.

Four UI alumni have held clerkships for judges at the prestigious court during that time—Deanna Reichel ‘02, Jay Johnson ‘02, Allison Green Kerndt ’05 and Erica Anderson ‘08.  Stephen Baird ’89 was the first Iowa alum to hold a Federal Circuit clerkship.

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is unique in the federal appellate system. Created in 1982, the Federal Circuit hears appeals from decisions of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and also hears appeals from most patent infringement cases tried nationwide. 

Mark Janis, a UI law professor and H. Blair and Joan V. White Chair in Intellectual Property Law, said the court has taken on greater significance in recent years because patent rights have become so important in the economy.  Advances in computer technology, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and other scientific and technical areas have led to an explosion in patent law issues in recent decades, many of which require the legal system’s intervention.

Because the Federal Circuit is a court of national jurisdiction, the court attracts clerkship applications from across the country, Janis said. “It’s an honor for so many of our students to have secured Federal Circuit clerkships,” he said.     “I take great pride in our students’ accomplishments.” For a patent lawyer, Janis added, a Federal Circuit clerkship is perhaps the most distinguished of credentials, akin to a Supreme Court clerkship.

Not surprisingly, the UI alumni who have clerked at the Federal Circuit  have since embarked on distinguished  legal careers. Reichel and Baird practice IP law at top  Minneapolis firms , while Johnson recently left the D.C. firm Covington & Burling to take a position as an Assistant United States Attorney in Dallas.  Kerndt worked at Finnegan, Henderson, a top-rated D.C. IP firm, before starting her clerkship.

As for Anderson, who started her clerkship at the court this fall, she credits the UI pipeline for giving her a boost in her clerkship aspirations. “It was easier for me because Iowa has had so many clerks before and has earned a good reputation among the judges,” she said.