The latest entry in D.C. Circuit appeal No. 25-7156 is procedural rather than merits-based, but it is still worth watching. On August 18, 2026, the clerk’s office entered an order scheduling oral argument for Tuesday, October 13, 2026. View full case on Docket Alarm.

Because this is a scheduling order, the court did not decide any substantive legal issue, announce a new rule, or alter existing precedent.

The Third Circuit’s July 30, 2026 decision in Opinion, No. 25-1116, is a useful reminder that appellate outcomes often turn as much on procedure as on merits. Although the case title released on the docket is generic, the court’s ruling appears to focus on whether the appeal was properly before the court and what qualifies as a reviewable order under federal appellate practice.

At a high level, the court addressed the threshold question every appellate practitioner must confront: is there a final decision, or some other basis for immediate review, that gives the court of appeals jurisdiction? In doing so, the panel reinforced the Third Circuit’s consistent approach to finality under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and the limited scope of exceptions such as interlocutory review, collateral-order doctrine, or Rule 54(b) certifications.