United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, abbreviated EDVA and cited as E.D. Va., is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its jurisdiction covers more than 85 percent of the state population, including Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond, and it holds court in Alexandria, Norfolk, Richmond and Newport News. It is widely known as the rocket docket because it has been the fastest federal trial court in the country for over fifty years, aiming to finish cases within one year, scheduling trials on weekends and holidays, and avoiding continuances. It uses a master docket in which the available judge handles a motion or trial instead of a fixed caseload, with judges assigned individually mainly in patent cases. Because its territory includes the Pentagon, much of the Intelligence Community and Naval Station Norfolk, it handles a large share of the nation espionage and terrorism cases. Appeals go to the Fourth Circuit, except patent claims and Tucker Act claims against the United States government, which go to the Federal Circuit.