Patent examiner
| What is a federal administrative adjudicator? Federal administrative adjudicators are federal government officials who preside over administrative hearings and proceedings in a process called adjudication. These officials can be divided into two categories: administrative law judges (ALJs) and non-ALJ adjudicators, sometimes referred to as administrative judges (AJs). Although many of these officials have the word judge in their job title, administrative adjudicators are part of the executive rather than the judicial branch. They are not judges as described in Article III of the Constitution. |
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Patent examiners are a type of federal administrative adjudicator sometimes collectively referred to as administrative judges, or non-ALJ adjudicators. Patent examiners are employed by the Patent and Trademark Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce and preside over special classes of administrative adjudication proceedings pertaining to the issuance of patents.[1]
Background
- See also: Federal administrative adjudicators
Patent examiners are a type of federal administrative adjudicator sometimes collectively referred to as administrative judges, or non-ALJ adjudicators. Patent examiners preside over special classes of adjudication proceedings within the Patent and Trademark Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) pertaining to the issuance of patents. They have the authority to conduct hearings, make findings, and issue decisions in patent-related cases. Patent examiners generally preside over adjudication proceedings in panels of three.[2][3]
Unlike other executive agencies, the director of the DOC's Patent and Trademark Office does not have final reviewing authority over patent examiner decisions. This structure allows for patent examiners to issue final decisions, which can then be appealed to the DOC's Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit hears the majority of patent examiner decisions that are later appealed to the federal courts.[3][4]
Though patent examiners are a type of administrative judge, they are part of the executive rather than the judicial branch. They are not judges as described in Article III of the U.S. Constitution.
Non-ALJ adjudicators
Non-ALJ adjudicators are distinct from administrative law judges (ALJs). Unlike ALJs, non-ALJ adjudicators are not covered by the Administrative Procedure Act and their positions are not standardized across the government. Their work, titles, qualifications, and pay vary substantially. Non-ALJs preside over informal adjudication proceedings, which may involve a hearing or a written process. Non-ALJs conduct the majority of federal agency adjudication proceedings.[1]
There were more than 10,000 non-ALJ adjudicators working at various federal agencies as of February 2018, the most recent year for which comprehensive data was available at the time of this article's last update in March 2024, including the 7,856 patent examiners employed by the Patent and Trademark Office. The other largest employers of non-ALJs at the time were the Internal Revenue Service (714 non-ALJs), the Department of Veterans Affairs (630 non-ALJs), the National Labor Relations Board (600 non-ALJs), and the U.S. Department of Justice (326 non-ALJs).[1]
Oil States Energy Services v. Greene's Energy Group
Oil States Energy Services v. Greene's Energy Group was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court in April 2018 that upheld the validity of inter partes review proceedings adjudicated by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Inter partes review proceedings are requested by an interested party to determine the validity of an existing patent. The Supreme Court held that inter parte review does not violate Article III of the U.S. Constitution because it functions as part and parcel of the right to grant patents, which falls within the public rights doctrine. Click here to read more about the case.[5]
See also
- Concepts, terms, and definitions related to the administrative state
- Ballotpedia's administrative state coverage
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Administrative Conference of the United States, "Non-ALJ Adjudicators in Federal Agencies: Status, Selection, Oversight, and Removal," February 14, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Department of Justice, "BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS," accessed April 1, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Regulatory Review, "Headless Agency Adjudication at the Patent Office," accessed April 1, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, "Patent Trial and Appeal Board," accessed April 1, 2025
- ↑ United States Supreme Court, "Oil States Energy Services v. Greene's Energy Group Opinion," April 24, 2018
