Haldane Robert Mayer
Haldane Robert Mayer (born February 21, 1941) is a Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Haldane Mayer | |
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Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit | |
Assumed office June 30, 2010 | |
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit | |
In office December 24, 1997 – December 25, 2004 | |
Preceded by | Glenn Leroy Archer Jr. |
Succeeded by | Paul Redmond Michel |
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit | |
In office June 15, 1987 – June 30, 2010 | |
Appointed by | Ronald Reagan |
Preceded by | Marion Tinsley Bennett |
Succeeded by | Jimmie V. Reyna |
Judge of the United States Claims Court | |
In office December 10, 1982 – June 19, 1987 | |
Appointed by | Ronald Reagan |
Preceded by | Seat established by 96 Stat. 27 |
Succeeded by | James T. Turner |
Personal details | |
Born | Haldane Robert Mayer February 21, 1941 Buffalo, New York |
Education | United States Military Academy (BS) William & Mary Law School (JD) |
Education and military service
Mayer was born in Buffalo, New York. Mayer was appointed to the United States Military Academy by Representative William E. Miller, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1963. Mayer served in the United States Army from 1963 to 1975. He was awarded the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service, and Army Commendation Medals, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, and Ranger Combat Badge for his service during the Vietnam War. He took leave from the Army to attend the William & Mary Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the William and Mary Law Review. He graduated first in his class and received his Juris Doctor in 1971.[1][2] He attended The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School at the University of Virginia.
Later career
Mayer served as Special Assistant to the Chief Justice of the United States, Warren E. Burger, for three years, and as law clerk to Judge John D. Butzner, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He was in private practice in Charlottesville, Virginia, in the 1970s, and in Washington, D.C., in 1980 and 1981. He was Deputy and Acting Special Counsel at the United States Merit Systems Protection Board from 1981 to 1982.[3]
Federal judicial service
President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the United States Claims Court in 1982, where he served until 1987. Mayer was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on February 3, 1987, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated by Judge Marion Tinsley Bennett. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 11, 1987, and received commission on June 15, 1987. He served as Chief Judge from 1997 to 2004. Mayer took senior status on June 30, 2010.[1][2] He was an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law School and the University of Virginia School of Law.[1][2][4]
Notable decisions
Mayer wrote a concurring opinion in Intellectual Ventures v. Symantec,[5] that controversially argues that "(1) patents constricting the essential channels of online communication run afoul of the First Amendment; and (2) claims directed to software implemented on a generic computer are categorically not eligible for patent."[6][7]
References
- "Federal Circuit Biographies". Archived from the original on 2007-10-29. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- William & Mary Biographies Archived 2011-05-12 at the Wayback Machine.
- Haldane Robert Mayer at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit: A History: 1990–2002 / compiled by members of the Advisory Council to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in celebration of the court's twentieth anniversary. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. 2004.
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (September 30, 2016). "Intellectual Ventures v. Symantec, case 2015-1769" (PDF). Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- Jeff John Roberts (October 3, 2016). "Here's Why Software Patents Are in Peril After the Intellectual Ventures Ruling". Fortune Magazine. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- Dennis Crouch (October 2, 2016). "First Amendment Finally Reaches Patent Law". PatentlyO. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
Legal offices | ||
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Preceded by Marion Tinsley Bennett |
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 1987–2010 |
Succeeded by Jimmie V. Reyna |
Preceded by Glenn Leroy Archer Jr. |
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 1997–2004 |
Succeeded by Paul Redmond Michel |