Breaking Circuit Boundaries: The Surprising Power of Inter-Circuit Citations

What happens when federal appeals judges break out of their own circuit’s bubble? A closer look reveals a fascinating web of influence that could reshape the future of federal law

Out of over 3,200 federal appeals court opinions released between the beginning of November 2024 and January 17, 2025, only four cited cases from each of the other circuits. I will get to those four cases later in the post but first I’ll pose the question of why this is important or interesting at all.

Stare decisis comes in several forms. The most commo…