President
Ronald Reagan appointed Rader to the
United States Court of Federal Claims in 1988, to succeed
Robert M. M. Seto. The
United States Senate confirmed the nomination by
unanimous consent on August 11, 1988. On June 12, 1990, Rader was nominated by President
George H. W. Bush to a seat on the
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated by Judge
Jean Galloway Bissell. Rader was confirmed by the Senate on August 3, 1990, and received his commission on August 9, 1990. In 2010, Rader became
Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit succeeding Chief Judge
Paul Redmond Michel upon his retirement. Along with his new administrative duties, he continued to speak at law schools and at international conferences. On May 23, 2014, Rader announced his resignation as Chief Judge effective May 30, 2014. Rader remained a judge on the court, and Judge
Sharon Prost succeeded him as Chief Judge. On June 13, 2014, Rader announced his retirement from the court effective June 30, 2014. Rader also serves as an advisor to the Mimura Komatsu Law Firm in Tokyo, Japan.
Breach of an ethical obligation Rader's resignation as Chief Judge and his announcement of retirement came in the wake of his admitted breach of an ethical obligation to not lend the prestige of the judicial office to advance the private interests of others. Rader had sent a laudatory e-mail to a member of the bar of the Federal Circuit and asked that member to show that e-mail to other members of the Bar. Rader also recused himself from a couple of cases he had presided over, due to the participation of the attorney in question. ==Works and publications==