Arthur J. Gajarsa
Encyclopedia
Judge Arthur Joseph Gajarsa (born 1941) is a Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
(1997-present).
Judge Arthur Gajarsa was born on 1 March 1941 in Norcia
, Italy
. He was the top ranked student in the 1958 graduating class at Boston Technical High School. He matriculated at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi
fraternity, graduating in 1962 with a B.S.
in Electrical Engineering
. He then received a M.A.
in Economics
from The Catholic University of America
in 1964, and a J.D.
from Georgetown University
in 1967.
Judge Gajarsa began his career as a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, served as a law clerk
for Judge Joseph McGarraghy on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
and worked as an attorney in the Department of Defense
specializing in defense systems analysis and intellectual property
rights. He also served as Special Counsel and Assistant to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior from 1969 to 1971. He was nominated for appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
on 7 January 1997 by President Bill Clinton
, was confirmed by the Senate on 31 July and entered service on 12 September.
He has authored Recent Developments in Antitrust for the American Bar Association
in 1967-69, and The European Common Market Antitrust Laws, Catholic University, 1967. He has also published numerous articles on economics and law.
On November 3, 2010 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
announced that he would replace Samuel F. Heffner as Chairman of the Board at the start of 2011.
Gajarsa has announced that he will be taking senior status
, effective July 31, 2011.
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
-Vacancies and pending nominations:-List of former judges:-Chief judges:Notwithstanding the foregoing, when the court was initially created, Congress had to resolve which chief judge of the predecessor courts would become the first chief judge...
(1997-present).
Judge Arthur Gajarsa was born on 1 March 1941 in Norcia
Norcia
Norcia is a town and comune in the province of Perugia in southeastern Umbria, located in a wide plain abutting the Monti Sibillini, a subrange of the Apennines with some of its highest peaks, near the Sordo River, a small stream that eventually flows into the Nera...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He was the top ranked student in the 1958 graduating class at Boston Technical High School. He matriculated at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi
Zeta Psi
The Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America was founded June 1, 1847 as a social college fraternity. The organization now comprises about fifty active chapters and twenty-five inactive chapters, encompassing roughly fifty thousand brothers, and is a founding member of the North-American...
fraternity, graduating in 1962 with a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
. He then received a M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in 1964, and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in 1967.
Judge Gajarsa began his career as a patent examiner with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, served as a law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Judge Joseph McGarraghy on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a federal district court. Appeals from the District are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a...
and worked as an attorney in the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
specializing in defense systems analysis and intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
rights. He also served as Special Counsel and Assistant to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior from 1969 to 1971. He was nominated for appointment to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
-Vacancies and pending nominations:-List of former judges:-Chief judges:Notwithstanding the foregoing, when the court was initially created, Congress had to resolve which chief judge of the predecessor courts would become the first chief judge...
on 7 January 1997 by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, was confirmed by the Senate on 31 July and entered service on 12 September.
He has authored Recent Developments in Antitrust for the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
in 1967-69, and The European Common Market Antitrust Laws, Catholic University, 1967. He has also published numerous articles on economics and law.
On November 3, 2010 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
announced that he would replace Samuel F. Heffner as Chairman of the Board at the start of 2011.
Gajarsa has announced that he will be taking senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
, effective July 31, 2011.
Awards and honors
- Bausch and Lomb Medal, 1958
- Benjamin Franklin Award, Boston Technical High School, 1958
- JFK Award for Public Service, 1974
- Sun and Balance Medal, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1990
- Gigi Pieri Award, Camp Hale Association, Boston, MA, 1992
- Rensselaer Key Alumni Award, 1992
- 125th Anniversary Medal, Georgetown University Law Center, 1995
- Order of Commendatore, Republic of Italy, 1995
- Alumni Fellow Award, Rensselaer Alumni Association, 1996
- Albert Fox DeMers Medal, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1999
- Paul R. Dean Award, Georgetown University Law Center, 1999
- Lifetime Achievement in Jurisprudence & Italian American Leadership, Order Sons of Italy in America, 2009