WASHINGTON — President Obama on Feb. 7 nominated Raymond T. Chen to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
If confirmed, he will be the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the Federal Circuit in over 25 years.
“Raymond Chen will be an excellent addition to the Federal Circuit and we are proud to support his nomination,” said Wendy Shiba, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “His many years of experience at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office together with his temperament and intellect make him an exceptionally well-qualified nominee for this court, and we commend President Obama for nominating him.”
Chen has served as the deputy general counsel for intellectual property law and solicitor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office since 2008. He first joined the office in 1998 as an associate solicitor and has received numerous awards for his service, including: the Gold Medal Award, U.S. Department of Commerce (2011); Bronze Medal Award, U.S. Department of Commerce (2005); and Attorney of the Year, Office of the Solicitor.
He previously worked as a technical assistant at the Federal Circuit from 1996 to 1998, as an associate at the law firm Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear from 1994 to 1996, and as a scientist at Hecker & Harriman (now Hecker Law Group) in Los Angeles. Chen is a graduate of the New York University School of Law and UCLA.
“I have no doubt that Raymond Chen will make an outstanding judge. We applaud President Obama for nominating him,” said Mee Moua, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. “As an Asian American engineer, career civil servant, and top-notch lawyer, he will make a meaningful contribution to the diversity of the Federal Circuit.”
Asian Pacific Americans continue to be significantly underrepresented in the federal judiciary. Today only 2 out of over 180 federal appellate court judges in the entire nation are of Asian Pacific American heritage. NAPABA and AAJC thank Obama for his continued commitment to nominating well-qualified, diverse nominees to the federal judiciary. Chen is the fifth Asian Pacific American that Obama has nominated to the appellate courts.