Norman K. Moon

Judge Norman K. Moon: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia

Judge Overview

Hon. Norman K. Moon is a senior United States District Judge for the Western District of Virginia. He was nominated to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton on October 8, 1997, and confirmed by the Senate on November 7, 1997. Judge Moon assumed senior status on July 1, 2010. Prior to his federal appointment, he had a lengthy judicial career in the Commonwealth of Virginia, serving as a judge on the Court of Appeals of Virginia from 1985 to 1997, including a term as its chief judge from 1993 to 1997. His judicial career began on the 24th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, where he served from 1974 to 1985. Before becoming a judge, he was in private practice in Lynchburg, Virginia, from 1962 to 1974. Judge Moon earned his B.A., J.D., and LL.M. from the University of Virginia.

Patent Docket

The Western District of Virginia is not a high-volume patent venue when compared to districts like the Eastern District of Texas or the District of Delaware. Judge Moon’s docket reflects this, with a limited number of patent cases. The district has adopted a comprehensive set of Supplemental Patent Rules designed to streamline litigation. These rules govern the progression of patent cases and mandate a structured schedule for claim construction proceedings. This includes the exchange of infringement and invalidity contentions, disclosure of prior art, and the submission of a joint claim construction chart and pre-hearing statement. The rules provide for a formal claim construction hearing if deemed necessary by the court or requested by the parties.

Notable Rulings or Trends

Judge Moon is presiding over the recently filed patent infringement case Thales DIS France SA v. Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd et al., which was transferred to the Western District of Virginia in April 2026. While public records of his other patent rulings are not extensive, he has handled numerous high-profile civil cases involving complex legal questions. Notably, he presided over a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") in 2010 and oversaw several cases arising from the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, including rejecting constitutional challenges to the Anti-Riot Act.

Local Rules and Procedures

Litigants in Judge Moon's court must adhere to the Western District of Virginia's Local Rules and its Supplemental Patent Rules. The patent rules establish a clear and detailed framework for the early stages of a case. Key requirements include early disclosure of infringement contentions by the patent holder and invalidity contentions by the accused infringer. The rules set specific limits on the number of claim terms to be presented for construction (typically ten unless otherwise ordered) and page limits for claim construction briefing. These procedures aim to reduce the cost and complexity of patent litigation by forcing parties to articulate their positions early and focusing the claim construction process on the most critical disputes.