CAFC Mourns Passing of Senior Judge Daniel Friedman

July 6, 2011

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit mourns the passing of Senior Judge Daniel M. Freidman at the age of 95.

In an announcement, Chief Judge Randall R. Rader said “we lost one of the grandest and best judges to ever grace this court – the last of the original members of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. … Our flag will fly at half mast for three days to honor Dan Friedman. I mourn with you all.”

Judge Friedman was born in New York City, served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II, was editor of the Columbia Law Review, and joined the U.S. Department of Justice in 1951. Friedman became Acting Solicitor General in 1977 and was nominated to the Court of Federal Claims by President Carter in 1978. He became one of the original members of the Federal Circuit when it was established on October 1, 1982. Judge Friedman took senior status in 1989. Judge Friedman authored more than over 470 opinions for the Federal Circuit, over 70 opinions for the Court of Claims, and over 160 opinions when sitting by designation with other U. S. circuit courts of appeals. He will long missed by the court and the intellectual property community.