Cloture Motion

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, this week, the Senate will vote to confirm Molly Silfen to the Court of Federal Claims. Ms. Silfen is an experienced litigator and public servant who is highly qualified to serve as a judge on the Court of Federal Claims. She earned her B.S. from Yale College and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. After beginning her legal career in 2006 as an associate attorney at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett, and Dunner, she clerked for Judge Alan D. Lourie on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from 2008 to 2010.

During her time in private practice, Ms. Silfen handled patent and trademark issues for both individual patent owners and major companies. She performed a significant amount of pro bono work as well, including representing a veteran seeking benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ms. Silfen joined the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as an associate solicitor in 2013 and remains there today. In her work with the USPTO, she regularly briefs and argues appeals before the Federal Circuit and other Federal courts of appeals. She has argued 23 appeals before Federal courts of appeals and has served as counsel of record in five merits cases before the Supreme Court.

While with the USPTO, Ms. Silfen has also been detailed to the Civil Division of the Department of Justice and to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of former Senator Leahy's staff on the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property.

Ms. Silfen's extensive experience at all levels of the Federal judicial system, along with her commitment to public service, will make her an exceptional addition to the Court of Federal Claims. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for her confirmation.
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