Oldest Active Federal Judge Seeks Reinstatement During Hearing

Judge Pauline Newman urged a DC federal court not to cut short her bid for reinstatement to the Federal Circuit, a specialized body with jurisdiction over the nation’s patent and veterans’ benefits cases.

Newman—who at 96 is the oldest active judge on the federal bench—brought suit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia in May 2023 after her colleagues started investigating her fitness as a full-time judge. During the course of the probe, her fellow judges took steps to suspended Newman from new case assignments, including a unanimous September 2023 order.

Newman’s attorney, Gregory Dolin, argued ...