A R T H U R   G A J A R S A   (L’67)

B Y   G R E G   L A N G L O I S

The Hon. Arthur Gajarsa (L’67) was lucky to have an understanding employer during his law school days.Working full-time as a patent agent for a law firm, he was allowed to work his own hours–overnight if necessary–to accommodate his law school demands, and his secretary even typed up his class notes for him. But as “the low man on the totem pole,” Gajarsa says, he got stuck with the firm’s worst office: a ninth-floor back-building room looking out onto an alley and construction site.
     The seemingly unpleasant view, it turns out, was a glimpse into his future:The judicial complex going up next to his 15th Street building would eventually become home to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, where Gajarsa now sits as one of 12 appellate judges. For a man who initially planned a career in elected office, Gajarsa says,“I never thought in those days that I would ever be occupying this space as a judge.” 
     But after a distinguished legal career that included both public service and partnerships in several firms, in which he practiced in areas as diverse as international law, intellectual property, securities law, and Native American tribal interests (for which he appeared before the Supreme Court several times), Gajarsa was nominated to the Federal Circuit by President Clinton in March 1996. Since his confirmation the following year, Gajarsa has enjoyed his unique, lifelong opportunity to shape federal law and policy and witness up close the law’s impact on a range of issues.
     As a judge for the Federal Circuit, Gajarsa and his colleagues hear appeals from U.S. district courts across the country on suits involving patents and other intellectual property matters, claims against the federal government, international trade, business and other issues.The court hears about 2,000 cases a year, with each judge, sitting for 10 months a year, paneled on more than 200.With very few cases taken up by the Supreme Court–four or five a year, Gajarsa says–most of the court’s decisions are final. “ Our decisions do have a major impact,” he says.“We see the law in action.”
      Gajarsa says the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals is a “collegial court,” with all its judges interested in reaching the right answers to legal problems, even if their approaches differ.
     “Working with 11 other individuals gives you a very clear understanding of the breadth of the law, because they’re all very highly intelligent,”   Gajarsa says. “I don’t necessarily agree with them all the time, but for the most part their positions are rational and logical.” One downside to being an appellate judge is working exclusively with lawyers and not the individual plaintiffs, defendants, and witnesses affected by the case, Gajarsa says.And those lawyers are there, of course, to persuade him their side is correct. One tip for any appellate litigants out there: Gajarsa gets uneasy when an attorney claims a trial judge made, say, 25 errors in a case. Focusing on one, two, or three major issues is better than a “shotgun” approach, he says.
     One of the most enjoyable aspects of his job, Gajarsa says, is working with his law clerks and law school interns, among whom several over the years have been Law Center graduates. He selects three clerks each year out of a large pool of 350 to 400 applicants. In working with his clerks and interns, he says,“I can be readily assured that the future of the country is in good hands, because there are a lot of bright, energetic individuals out there.” Recently, while teaching a course on federalism and the 11^th Amendment called “Suing the Sovereign,” Gajarsa said he found Georgetown students particularly intelligent and engaged.
     “I’ve always pointed out to Dean Areen that I probably couldn’t get into Georgetown today,” Gajarsa jokes. “The competition is steep and keen.”
     Regardless of his admissions potential today, Gajarsa, a native of Italy, gives back generously to his alma mater in several ways. He currently chairs the Law Center Affairs and the Audit Committees as a member of the Georgetown University Board of Directors, has served on the university’s Board of Regents, and has contributed his time and effort to help make the recently completed Third Century Campaign a success. He received the Law Center’s 125^th Anniversary Medal in 1995 and the Paul R. Dean Award in 1999.
     “Georgetown gave me a grounding for a lifetime career,” he says.“I think we all should look at ways we can give back. Georgetown is a fine institution, and we’re trying to make it even better.”