For over 25 years, Judge Rader has been a leading thought leader in the field of intellectual property law and jurisprudence. His work as Chief Judge, his publications and his work teaching patent law globally to students, judges and government officials has left an indelible mark on the field of IP law and the protection of IP rights throughout the world.

Judge Rader was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit by President George H. W. Bush in 1990 and assumed the duties of Chief Judge on June 1, 2010. He was appointed to the United States Claims Court (now the U. S. Court of Federal Claims) by President Ronald W. Reagan in 1988. Before appointment to the Court of Federal Claims, former Chief Judge Rader served as Minority and Majority Chief Counsel to Subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. From 1975 to 1980, he served as Counsel in the House of Representatives for representatives serving on the Interior, Appropriations, and Ways and Means Committees. Judge Rader stepped down from Chief Judge position on May 30, 2014 and retired from the bench on June 30, 2014.

Since leaving the bench, Judge Rader has founded the Rader Group, focusing on arbitration, mediation, and legal consulting and legal education services. Since 2014, Judge Rader has presiding over major arbitration under UCC rules in Paris; conducted mediations to settle ongoing litigation; joined law faculty at Tsinghua University; conducted full-credit course at leading law schools in D.C., Seattle, Santa Clara, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Munich, consulted with major corporations and law firms on IP policy and litigation, and advised foreign governments on international IP standards. He continues to advocate improvements in innovation policy through speaking engagements worldwide.

Judge Rader's most prized title may well be "Professor Rader." As Professor, Judge Rader has taught courses on patent law and other advanced intellectual property courses at The George Washington University Law School, University of Virginia School of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, the Munich Intellectual Property Law Center, and other university programs in Tokyo, Taipei, New Delhi, and Beijing. He received a B.A. in English from Brigham Young University in 1974 and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School in 1978.