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What do you know about the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT)? Are you aware that it’s an Article III court, with life-tenured members who frequently sit by designation on circuit courts across the country? Although I fancy myself an expert on the federal courts, my knowledge of the CIT was pretty sparse until recently.

This began to change last November, when I spoke on a panel about the (problematic) practice of judges getting deeply involved in selecting their own successors. I felt the panel went well, and much of the credit belonged to our excellent moderator, Judge Stephen Vaden (who stepped in at the last minute after the passing of our original moderator, Judge Laurence Silberman). I’ve enjoyed getting to know Judge Vaden over the past few months, and I quickly realized I wanted to have him on the podcast.

Judge Vaden has served on the CIT since 2020. In this interview, he pulls back the curtain on his court, a fascinating cross between a trial court and the D.C. Circuit—and a great place to clerk for listeners interested in clerkship opportunities.

Devotees of the federal judiciary should appreciate this episode for its exploration of the CIT, unique among Article III courts in several ways. But it will also appeal to first-generation lawyers seeking inspiration (Judge Vaden is a farm boy turned federal judge), as well as any lawyers or law students who value sound career advice.