Richard Gary Taranto

Richard Gary Taranto (born May 6, 1957) is a United States circuit judge on the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2013, he has served continuously on that court, which possesses nationwide jurisdiction over specialized areas such as patents, government contracts, and certain international trade matters. Prior to his elevation to the federal bench, Taranto accumulated extensive experience in private practice, the Office of the Solicitor General, academia, and a series of prestigious clerkships at both the district‑court and Supreme Court levels.

Early life and legal career

Taranto was born in New York City in 1957. He pursued his undergraduate education at Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977. Following his liberal‑arts studies, Taranto explored advanced mathematics, spending a semester each at Yale University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison as part of their doctoral programs in the discipline. He subsequently entered Yale Law School, earning his Juris Doctor in 1981. While at Yale, he contributed to the scholarly output of the institution’s flagship publication, serving both as an article editor and a book editor for the Yale Law Journal.

Upon completing law school, Taranto embarked on a series of high‑profile clerkships that provided him with insight into multiple tiers of the federal judiciary. His first post‑law clerkship was with Judge Abraham David Sofaer of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, a position he held from 1981 to 1982. He then moved to the nation’s capital to clerk for Judge Robert Bork of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit during the 1982‑83 term. The culmination of his clerkship experience came at the Supreme Court, where he served as a law clerk to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

After completing his judicial apprenticeships, Taranto entered private practice with the Washington, D.C., firm Onek, Klein & Farr, working there from 1984 until 1986. He left the firm to join the Office of the Solicitor General, where he served as an assistant for three years, assisting in the preparation and presentation of the United States’ positions before the Supreme Court. In 1989, Taranto returned to his former firm, which later became known as Farr & Taranto, and was elevated to partnership status.

In addition to his practice and government service, Taranto has maintained a long‑standing involvement in legal education. He has taught a course on patent law at Harvard Law School, reflecting the Federal Circuit’s central role in adjudicating intellectual property disputes. Moreover, he has instructed various courses at Georgetown University Law Center, contributing to the training of future lawyers in both substantive and procedural aspects of the law.

Taranto’s engagement with the broader judicial system extends beyond teaching. Since 2009, he has been a member of the appellate rules advisory committee for the United States Judicial Conference, an entity that advises on the formulation and amendment of procedural rules governing federal appellate courts. His advocacy experience is notable; over the course of his career, he has argued nineteen cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, demonstrating considerable expertise in appellate advocacy.

Federal appellate service

The vacancy on the Federal Circuit that led to Taranto’s appointment arose when Judge Paul Redmond Michel retired in 2010. President Barack Obama first nominated Taranto for the position on November 10, 2011. The nomination followed an earlier attempt by the administration to fill the seat with Edward C. DuMont, whose candidacy stalled for eighteen months and ultimately was withdrawn.

Taranto’s initial nomination encountered procedural delay when the Senate adjourned sine die at the close of its session, resulting in the return of his nomination to the President on January 2, 2013. The administration promptly renominated him the following day. The Senate Judiciary Committee evaluated the renewed nomination and reported it favorably to the full Senate by voice vote on February 7, 2013.

The confirmation process concluded without opposition; on March 11, 2013, the United States Senate voted 91–0 in favor of confirming Taranto to the Federal Circuit. He received his judicial commission the next day and formally assumed his duties on March 15, 2013. Since that time, he has served as an active circuit judge, participating in panels that decide appeals arising from district‑court rulings across the nation within the specialized jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit.

Throughout his tenure, Judge Taranto has contributed to the development of case law in areas central to the court’s mandate, including patent eligibility, government contract disputes, and claims involving federal statutes. His background in mathematics and extensive experience with intellectual property matters have been cited as informing his analytical approach to complex technical issues that frequently arise before the Federal Circuit.

Jurisprudence and legacy

Judge Taranto’s professional trajectory reflects a blend of scholarly, governmental, and practical legal experiences that converge on the specialized docket of the Federal Circuit. His academic foundation in mathematics, combined with a summa cum laude undergraduate record and rigorous legal training at Yale, provides a distinctive perspective for adjudicating technically intricate patent cases. The court’s jurisdiction over patent law often requires judges to grapple with scientific concepts, and Taranto’s early immersion in graduate‑level mathematical studies equips him to navigate such challenges.

His tenure as an assistant to the Solicitor General afforded him insight into the federal government’s litigation strategies before the nation’s highest court. This experience, coupled with his record of arguing nineteen cases before the Supreme Court, underscores a deep familiarity with appellate advocacy and the procedural nuances of high‑stakes litigation. Such expertise is valuable in the Federal Circuit, where many appeals involve substantial questions of law that may ultimately be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

In addition to his judicial responsibilities, Taranto’s ongoing involvement in legal education reinforces his influence on the next generation of attorneys. By teaching patent law at Harvard Law School and offering courses at Georgetown University Law Center, he disseminates practical knowledge drawn from both his courtroom experience and scholarly interests. His participation on the appellate rules advisory committee for the Judicial Conference further demonstrates a commitment to shaping the procedural framework that governs federal appellate practice.

While specific opinions authored by Judge Taranto are not detailed in the source material, his role on a court that handles a concentrated body of specialized law suggests that his contributions have helped clarify and evolve legal standards within those domains. The Federal Circuit’s decisions often set nationwide precedents, particularly in patent jurisprudence, affecting innovators, businesses, and the broader economy. As an active member of this bench, Taranto has been part of panels issuing rulings that influence how patents are interpreted, enforced, and challenged.

Overall, Judge Richard G. Taranto’s career reflects a synthesis of academic achievement, high‑level clerkships, government service, private practice, teaching, and judicial administration. His appointment by President Obama placed him on a court whose decisions carry significant weight across multiple sectors of federal law. Through his ongoing service, participation in rulemaking committees, and dedication to legal education, he continues to shape the development and application of specialized jurisprudence within the United States federal judiciary.