Pauline Newman’s Challenge to Judge Suspension Law: Explained

A D.C. Circuit panel will hear arguments Thursday over whether 97-year-old Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman will hear another case and the constitutionality of a 1980 law allowing federal courts to self-police their colleagues and temporarily suspend judges.

Newman, the nation’s oldest active federal judge, has served on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit since 1984. She is known as a frequent dissenter, and is the most pro-patent owner voice on the appeals court, according to a recent study.

Newman was barred from new case assignments in early 2023, as the court launched a formal investigation ...