John F. Duffy
Encyclopedia
John Fitzgerald Duffy is currently Professor of Law at University of Virginia School of Law
in Charlottesville, Virginia
. He is a Legal Commentator and Author who has written numerous articles and co-authored a scholarly book on Patent Law (listed at his University of Virginia faculty webpage below). He previously served as law clerk to The Honorable Antonin Scalia
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
, and The Honorable Stephen F. Williams
, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
. Between these two assignments, he served as an attorney at the Office of Legal Counsel
in the United States Department of Justice
. In addition to clerking for Justice Scalia, John Duffy has been very influential in regard to constitutional law and the appointment of federal judges.
Duffy served as co-counsel for petitioner KSR in the U.S. Supreme Court case on the law of patent
obviousness
, KSR v. Teleflex
.
Duffy received a B.A.
in physics from Harvard University
and was awarded a J.D.
by the University of Chicago Law School
. Duffy is a graduate of Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey
.
of the US and other patent offices as a means form improving the efficiency and thoroughness of patent examination.
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law was founded in Charlottesville in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as one of the original subjects taught at his "academical village," the University of Virginia. The law school maintains an enrollment of approximately 1,100 students in its initial degree program...
in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
. He is a Legal Commentator and Author who has written numerous articles and co-authored a scholarly book on Patent Law (listed at his University of Virginia faculty webpage below). He previously served as law clerk to The Honorable Antonin Scalia
Antonin Scalia
Antonin Gregory Scalia is an American jurist who serves as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As the longest-serving justice on the Court, Scalia is the Senior Associate Justice...
, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, and The Honorable Stephen F. Williams
Stephen F. Williams
Stephen Fain Williams is a Senior Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He was appointed to the court in June 1986 by President Ronald Reagan, and took senior status in September 2001....
, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
. Between these two assignments, he served as an attorney at the Office of Legal Counsel
Office of Legal Counsel
The Office of Legal Counsel is an office in the United States Department of Justice that assists the Attorney General in his function as legal adviser to the President and all executive branch agencies.-History:...
in the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. In addition to clerking for Justice Scalia, John Duffy has been very influential in regard to constitutional law and the appointment of federal judges.
Duffy served as co-counsel for petitioner KSR in the U.S. Supreme Court case on the law of patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
obviousness
Inventive step and non-obviousness
The inventive step and non-obviousness reflect a same general patentability requirement present in most patent laws, according to which an invention should be sufficiently inventive — i.e., non-obvious — in order to be patented....
, KSR v. Teleflex
KSR v. Teleflex
KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398 , is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States concerning the issue of obviousness as applied to patent claims.-Case history:...
.
Duffy received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in physics from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and was awarded 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...
by the University of Chicago Law School
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School was founded in 1902 as the graduate school of law at the University of Chicago and is among the most prestigious and selective law schools in the world. The U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it fifth among U.S...
. Duffy is a graduate of Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, New Jersey
Absecon, New Jersey
Absecon is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 8,411.What is now the City of Absecon was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 29, 1872, from portions of Egg Harbor...
.
Patent Reform
Professor Duffy has called for the demonopolizationDemonopolization
Demonopolization means to break up an existing monopoly. It is often used in the context of breaking up a government-run monopoly.-Usage:*”Institutional Strengthening of the State Committee on Demonopolization and Competition Development”...
of the US and other patent offices as a means form improving the efficiency and thoroughness of patent examination.
Books
- (With Herz, Michael). A Guide to Judicial and Political Review of Federal Agencies. Chicago: American Bar Association, Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, 2005.
- (with Merges, Robert Patrick). Patent Law and Policy: Cases and Materials. 4th ed.. Newark, NJ: LexisNexis, 2007.