Vacancy effects?

The recent vacancies on the Federal Circuit might be having an effect on the court’s ability to issue opinions with the same speed as in the past.  This past week the court issued its opinion in General Electric v. ITC, App. No. 2010-1223 (Fed. Cir. 2012).  The oral argument in the case was held on February 10, 2011 and the decision issued on February 29, 2012.  So, it took more than a year for the opinion to issue — without any dissenting or concurring opinion.

One interesting sound bite from the oral argument in General Electric v. ITC was the exchange betweeen Judges Rader and Linn and counsel for the ITC, James Worth, with respect to how much time should be allotted to the ITC in oral argument for this case and other cases of its nature:  [Listen].

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