Grace K. Obermann

Grace Karaffa Obermann (born 1961) is an Administrative Patent Judge for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and a nominee to be a Judge of the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Obermann received her Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University and her Juris Doctor, with honors, from the George Washington University Law School, where she was a member of The George Washington Law Review.

Obermann served as a law clerk to Judge Raymond C. Clevenger of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Earlier in her career, Obermann served as Assistant Director in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the United States Department of Justice Civil Division. She was previously in private practice at Davidson Berquist Jackson & Gowdey, where she focused on federal acquisition issues and government patent practice. Since 2012, she has been the Administrative Patent Judge for the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Obermann served as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School, where she taught legal writing and oral advocacy.

On October 2, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Obermann to serve as a Judge for the United States Court of Federal Claims. On October 30, 2019, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Obermann to the seat vacated by Judge Susan G. Braden, who took senior status on July 13, 2018. A hearing on her nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on November 13, 2019. On January 3, 2020, her nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 9, 2020, she was renominated to the same seat. On March 5, 2020, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote. Her nomination is currently pending before the full United States Senate.