Federal Appeals Court Chief Judge To Step Down After Inappropriate Email

In the wake of sending an inappropriate email to an attorney, Judge Randall Rader, Chief of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, announced May 23 that he’s stepping down from his post. Rader said in a letter to colleagues that he was “inexcusably careless” for sending the email, which praised the lawyer’s skills and urging him to share it with others. Rader said he will continue to serve as a judge on the appeals court, which specializes in hearing patent cases. He will be succeeded as chief by Judge Sharon Prost effective May 30.