On April 15, 2020, Michael Sandonato was quoted in Law360 on what litigators can expect when arguing at the Federal Circuit by phone during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the article, the week before the court’s first ever wave of telephonic oral arguments, the clerk’s office sent out a four-page list of instructions and held an orientation over the phone, explaining procedures and what to do if things went wrong. They answered questions, worked out problems, and, when asked, added a second line for clients, colleagues, and the public to listen in on arguments.
“It really feels like the circuit executive and the chief deputy clerk, who were the people who ran the logistics of it, went above and beyond in terms of setting up a very well structured procedure and orientation calls,” said Sandonato, who represented Canon Inc. in an International Trade Commission dispute on April 10. “They really embraced the concept of making this as user-friendly as possible and making it simulate a normal court proceeding as much as possible.”
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