Only a few of the hundred or so people who came to Dhillon Khosla’s afternoon goodbye party were still around at 6 p.m. Friday, enjoying wine, cheese and the fireplace in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ Redwood Room.

Until last week, the craggy-faced Khosla was one of the appeals court’s longest-tenured staff lawyers, having worked on habeas corpus cases for about 10 years, interrupted by a stint at the state Supreme Court.