List of United States courts of appeals cases

Every year, each of the eleven United States courts of appeals decides hundreds of cases. Of those, a few are so important that they later become models for decisions of other circuits, and of the United States Supreme Court, while others are noted for being dramatically rejected by the Supreme Court on appeal. Still others are notable for being written with such a clear and concise explanation of the states of the law that they are used by multiple law school casebooks to teach the area of law addressed. The notable decisions of these courts are listed in chronological order by circuit.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

First Circuit

Sampson v. Channell, 110 F.2d 754 (1st Cir. 1940): application of Erie doctrine to choice of law questions
Glik v. Cunniffe, 655 F.3d 78 (1st Cir. 2011): First Amendment right to photograph public officials in a public place

Second Circuit

Nichols v. Universal Pictures Corp., 45 F.2d 119 (2d Cir. 1930): copyright infringement of stock characters
United States v. One Package of Japanese Pessaries, 86 F.2d 737 (2nd Cir. 1936): importation of birth control supplies
United States v. Carroll Towing Co. 159 F.2d 169 (2d. Cir. 1947): calculus of negligence
National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications, 191 F.2d 594 (2d Cir. 1951), clarified 198 F.2d 927 (2d Cir. 1952)
Walkovsky v. Carlton, 276 2d 585 (2d Cir. 1966): lifting the corporate veil
Engblom v. Carey, 677 F.2d 957 (2d Cir. 1982): Third Amendment prohibited striking prison guards to be evicted from state-supplied housing in favor of national guardsmen

Third Circuit

Corfield v. Coryell, (6 Fed. Cas. 546, no. 3,230 C.C.E.D.Pa. 1823): Privileges & Immunities
Piscataway Sch. Bd. v. Taxman, 91 F.3d 1547 (3d Cir. 1996): affirmative action in public hiring

Fourth Circuit

United States v. Morlang, 531 F.2d 183 (4th Cir. 1975): standard for abuse of FRE 607
Dettmer v. Landon, 799 F.2d 929 (4th Cir. 1986): Wicca reviewed as a religion; no First Amendment violation to deny a Wiccan access to unusual materials
Zeran v. America Online, Inc., 129 F.3d 327 (4th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 524 U.S. 937 (1998): liability for website hosts under the Communications Decency Act

Fifth Circuit

Dixon v. Alabama 294 F. 2d 150 (5th Cir. 1961): tax-funded college cannot expel students without due process.
Smith v. Pilots Union, 296 F.3d 380 (5th Cir. 2002): six-month period of limitations applies to Smith's suit against the Union whether or not he was a supervisor.
McCorvey v. Hill, 385 F.3d 846 (5th Cir. 2004): original party to the decision in Roe v. Wade lacked standing to have the case re-opened after 30 years.

Sixth Circuit

Addyston Pipe and Steel Company v. United States, 85 F. 271 (6th Cir. 1898): rule of reason in antitrust cases
ACLU v. NSA, 493 F.3d 644 (6th Cir. 2007)

Seventh Circuit

American Booksellers v. Hudnut, 771 F.2d 323 (7th Cir. 1985): challenged the constitutionality of the Antipornography Civil Rights Ordinance
US v. Harris, 942 F.2d 1125 (7th Cir. 1991): a gift to a long-term mistress did not constitute taxable income
ProCD, Inc. v. Zeidenberg, 86 F.3d 1447 (7th Cir. 1996): validity of shrink wrap contracts
In re Aimster Copyright Litigation, 334 F.3d 643 (7th Cir. 2003): vicarious liability for copyright infringement
Muth v. Frank, 412 F.3d 808 (7th Cir. 2005): U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003), striking down anti-homosexual sodomy laws as unconstitutional did not bar laws against consensual adult incest

Eighth Circuit

Frosty Treats, Inc. v. Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc., 426 F.3d 1001 (8th Cir. 2005): trademark and trade dress
USA v. $124,700 (8th Cir. 2006)

Ninth Circuit

Apple Computer, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp., 35 F.3d 1435 (9th Cir. 1994): copyright infringement with respect to the layout of a computer desktop
A & M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc., 239 F.3d 1004 (9th Cir. 2001): vicarious liability for copyright infringement
Carafano v. Metrosplash.com, Inc., 339 F.3d 1119 (9th Cir. 2003): liability of internet forum providers
Grosso v. Miramax, 383 F.3d 965 (9th Cir. 2004): preemption of state law claims by the copyright act
Arizona Cartridge Remanufacturers Association Inc. v. Lexmark International Inc., 421 F.3d 981 (9th Cir. 2005): validity of certain end user license agreements

Tenth Circuit

Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States, 593 F.2d 907 (10th Cir. 1976)

Thompson v. Johnson County Community College, 108 F. 3d 1388 (10th Cir. 1997)

Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, 723 F.3d 1114 (10th Cir. 2013)

Eleventh Circuit

Smith v. Board of School Commissioners of Mobile County, 827 F.2d 684 (11th Cir. 1987): teaching of ideas associated with secular humanism does not constitute endorsement of a religion
Suntrust v. Houghton Mifflin Co., 252 F. 3d 1165 (11th Cir. 2001): parody as a fair use defense to copyright infringement

D.C. Circuit

United States v. Fenwick, 25 F. Cas. 1062; 4 Cranch C.C. 675 (1836): Right to make legal argument to jury.
Stettinius v. United States, 22 F. Cas. 1322; 5 Cranch C.C. 573 (1839): Right to make legal argument to jury.
Frye v. United States, 293 F. 1013 (1923): Established that the admissibility of expert testimony must be based on scientific methods that are sufficiently established and accepted.
Edwards v. Habib, 397 F.2d 687 (1968): Established the tenant's defense of retaliatory eviction.
Javins v. First National Realty Corp., 428 F.2d 1071 (1970): Established warranty of habitability.
Pro-Football, Inc. v. Harjo, 415 F.3d 44 (2005): Applicability of laches defense to disparagement claims.
Colorado River Indian Tribes v. National Indian Gaming Commission, 05-5402 (2006): National Indian Gaming Commission doesn't have oversight jurisdiction in regulating Class II or Class III games in Class III Indian casinos.
Doe ex. rel. Tarlow v. District of Columbia, 489 F.3d 376 (D.C. Cir. 2007) : Regarding surgical treatment for the mentally incompetent who are unable to give informed consent.

Federal Circuit (and its predecessor courts)

Jazz Photo Corp. v. United States International Trade Commission, 264 F. 3d 1094 (Fed. Cir. 2001), repair and reconstruction of patented items

Court of Claims

Williams & Wilkins Co. v. United States, 487 F.2d 1345 (Ct. Cl. 1973), per curium aff'd by an equally divided court, 420 U.S. 376 (1975): liability for copyright infringement for photocopying of journal articles

List of United States courts of appeals cases

Federal Circuit (and its predecessor courts)

Court of Claims

See also