Compare patent judges by case volume, party-favorable outcomes, or transfer-motion grant rate.
Judge Rankings compares judges across several measures of patent litigation activity and outcomes. Use it to identify judges with substantial case experience and compare selected outcome or motion-result measures across the same research population.
What it tells you
Section titled “What it tells you”Judge Rankings can rank judges by:
- Cases
- Percentage of Patentee Favorable Outcomes
- Percentage of Patent Challenger Favorable Outcomes
- Grant Rate of Motions to Transfer Venue
The results are shown in a ranked table, with the displayed columns changing to match the ranking measure you select.
Questions it can answer
Section titled “Questions it can answer”- Which judges have handled the most patent cases?
- Which judges have the highest percentage of patentee-favorable outcomes?
- Which judges have the highest percentage of patent-challenger-favorable outcomes?
- How do judges compare on motions to transfer venue?
- How does the ranking change for a particular patent technology or time period?
How to interpret the analysis
Section titled “How to interpret the analysis”Judge Rankings shows relative judicial experience or outcomes within the population that matches your selected criteria.
When Cases is selected, the ranking reflects patent case volume.
The favorable-outcome rankings focus on qualifying case outcomes for the selected side. They should be read as historical outcome patterns, not as a prediction of how a judge will rule in a future case.
The transfer ranking compares judges based on recorded results for qualifying motions to transfer venue.
Use the underlying case or motion volume alongside any percentage-based ranking. A high percentage based on a smaller body of qualifying matters represents a different level of experience than the same percentage based on a much larger history.
Filters and defaults
Section titled “Filters and defaults”Use the controls on the left to focus the ranking.
Available criteria include:
- ranking measure
- patent technology
- date range
The results table also includes controls that can be used to narrow the displayed population.
Changing the selected measure or filters recalculates the ranking for the relevant set of judges and matters.
Reading the results
Section titled “Reading the results”Each row shows a judge’s rank, name, and the measure used for the selected ranking.
Use Cases when judicial experience and volume are the primary concern. Use one of the percentage-based measures when you want to compare historical outcomes under the same criteria.
Judge names are linked so you can continue into the judge’s Docket Navigator profile for additional research.
You can also download the results as a CSV.
Important considerations
Section titled “Important considerations”Judge Rankings summarizes historical activity and outcomes. It does not measure judicial quality, indicate bias, or predict the result of a future matter.
Percentage-based comparisons are most meaningful when judges are evaluated using the same filters and when the underlying case or motion volume is considered alongside the percentage.