- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
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Seal of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citations, 7th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:
- Central District of Illinois
- Northern District of Illinois
- Southern District of Illinois
- Northern District of Indiana
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Western District of Wisconsin
The court is based at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of thirteen United States courts of appeals, composed of eleven judges.
The court offers a unique internet presence that includes a wiki and RSS feeds of opinions and oral arguments. No other United States District or Appellate Court offers oral arguments using these feeds to the internet with the exception of United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit which offers RSS features. It is also notable for having two of the most prominent law and economics scholars, Chief Judge Easterbrook and Judge Posner, on its panel.[1]
The Dirksen Federal Building, seat of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.Contents
Current composition of the court
As of June 29, 2010, the judges on the court are as follows:
# Judge Duty station Born Appointed Chief Appointed by 44 Frank H. Easterbrook Chicago, IL 1948 1985–present 2006–present Reagan 41 Richard Posner Chicago, IL 1939 1981–present 1993–2000 Reagan 43 Joel Martin Flaum Chicago, IL 1936 1983–present 2000–2006 Reagan 47 Michael Stephen Kanne Lafayette, IN 1938 1987–present —— Reagan 48 Ilana Rovner Chicago, IL 1938 1992–present —— G.H.W. Bush 49 Diane Pamela Wood Chicago, IL 1950 1995–present —— Clinton 51 Ann Claire Williams Chicago, IL 1949 1999–present —— Clinton 52 Diane S. Sykes Milwaukee, WI 1957 2004–present —— G.W. Bush 53 John Daniel Tinder Indianapolis, IN 1950 2007–present —— G.W. Bush 54 David F. Hamilton Bloomington, IN 1957 2009–present —— Obama — Vacant (seat 9) Vacancies and pending nominations
Seat Seat Last Held By Vacancy Reason Date of Vacancy Nominee Date of Nomination 9 Terence T. Evans Senior status January 7, 2010 Victoria F. Nourse [2] July 14, 2010 Senior
Five judges currently serve on the court on senior status:
# Judge Duty station Born Active service Chief Senior
sinceAppointed by 37 William Joseph Bauer Chicago, IL 1926 1974–1994 1986–1993 1994–present Ford 39 Richard Dickson Cudahy Chicago, IL 1926 1979–1994 —— 1994–present Carter 42 John Louis Coffey Milwaukee, WI 1922 1982–2004 —— 2004–present Reagan 45 Kenneth Francis Ripple South Bend, IN 1943 1985–2008 —— 2008–present Reagan 46 Daniel Anthony Manion South Bend, IN 1942 1986–2007 —— 2007–present Reagan List of former judges
Thirty-nine judges have served on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, but no longer do:
# Judge State Born/Died Active Chief Senior Appointed by Reason for
termination1 Walter Q. Gresham Indiana 1832–1895 1891–1893 —— —— C. Arthur[3] resignation 2 William Allen Woods Indiana 1837–1901 1892–1901 —— —— B. Harrison death 3 James Graham Jenkins Wisconsin 1834–1921 1893–1905 —— —— Cleveland retirement 4 John William Showalter Illinois 1844–1898 1895–1898 —— —— Cleveland death 5 Peter Stenger Grosscup Illinois 1852–1921 1899–1911 —— —— McKinley resignation 6 Francis Elisha Baker Indiana 1860–1924 1902–1924 —— —— T. Roosevelt death 7 William Henry Seaman Wisconsin 1842–1915 1905–1915 —— —— T. Roosevelt death 8 Christian Cecil Kohlsaat Illinois 1844–1918 1905–1918 —— —— T. Roosevelt death 9 Samuel Alschuler[4] Illinois 1859–1939 1915–1936 —— 1936–1939 Wilson death 10 Evan Alfred Evans Wisconsin 1876–1948 1916–1948 —— —— Wilson death 11 George True Page Illinois 1859–1941 1919–1930 —— 1930–1941 Wilson death 12 Albert Barnes Anderson Indiana 1857–1938 1925–1929 —— 1929–1938 Coolidge death 13 William Morris Sparks Indiana 1872–1950 1929–1948 1948–1948 1948–1950 Hoover death 14 Louis FitzHenry Illinois 1870–1935 1933–1935 —— —— F. Roosevelt death 15 James Earl Major Illinois 1887–1972 1937–1956 1948–1954 1956–1972 F. Roosevelt death 16 Walter Emanuel Treanor Indiana 1883–1941 1937–1941 —— —— F. Roosevelt death 17 Otto Kerner, Sr.[4] Illinois 1884–1952 1938–1952 —— —— F. Roosevelt death 18 Sherman Minton Indiana 1890–1965 1941–1949 —— —— F. Roosevelt elevation to the Supreme Court 19 F. Ryan Duffy Wisconsin 1888–1979 1949–1966 1954–1959 1966–1979 Truman death 20 Philip J. Finnegan Illinois 1886–1959 1949–1959 —— —— Truman death 21 Walter C. Lindley Illinois 1880–1958 1949–1958 —— —— Truman death 22 Hardress Nathaniel Swaim[4] Indiana 1880–1957 1949–1957 —— —— Truman death 23 Elmer Jacob Schnackenberg[4] Illinois 1889–1968 1953–1968 —— —— Eisenhower death 24 John Simpson Hastings Indiana 1898–1977 1957–1969 1959–1968 1969–1977 Eisenhower death 25 William Lynn Parkinson Indiana 1902–1959 1957–1959 —— —— Eisenhower death 26 Winfred George Knoch Illinois 1895–1983 1958–1967 —— 1967–1983 Eisenhower death 27 Latham Castle Illinois 1900–1986 1959–1970 1968–1970 1970–1986 Eisenhower death 28 Roger Joseph Kiley Illinois 1900–1974 1961–1974 —— 1974–1974 Kennedy death 29 Luther Merritt Swygert Indiana 1905–1988 1961–1981 1970–1975 1981–1988 Kennedy death 30 Walter J. Cummings, Jr. Illinois 1916–1999 1966–1999 1981–1986 —— L. Johnson death 31 Thomas E. Fairchild Wisconsin 1912–2007 1966–1981 1975–1981 1981–2007 L. Johnson death 32 Otto Kerner, Jr. Illinois 1908–1976 1968–1974 —— —— L. Johnson resignation 33 Wilbur Frank Pell, Jr. Indiana 1915–2000 1970–1984 —— 1984–2000 Nixon death 34 John Paul Stevens Illinois 1920–present 1970–1975 —— —— Nixon elevation to the Supreme Court 35 Robert Arthur Sprecher Illinois 1917–1982 1971–1982 —— —— Nixon death 36 Philip Willis Tone Illinois 1923–2001 1974–1980 —— —— Nixon resignation 38 Harlington Wood, Jr. Illinois 1920–2008 1976–1992 —— 1992–2008 Ford death 40 Jesse E. Eschbach Indiana 1920–2005 1981–1985 —— 1985–2005 Reagan death 50 Terence T. Evans Wisconsin 1940-2011 1995–2010 —— 2010–2011 Clinton death Chief judges
Chief Judge Sparks 1948 – 1948 Major 1948 – 1954 Duffy 1954 – 1959 Hastings 1959 – 1968 Castle 1968 – 1970 Swygert 1970 – 1975 Fairchild 1975 – 1981 Cummings 1981 – 1986 Bauer 1986 – 1993 Posner 1993 – 2000 Flaum 2000 – 2006 Easterbrook 2006 – present In order to qualify for the office of Chief Judge, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as Chief Judge. A vacancy in the office of Chief Judge is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The Chief Judge serves for a term of seven years or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position. Unlike the Chief Justice of the United States, a Chief Judge returns to active service after the expiration of his or her term and does not create a vacancy on the bench by the fact of his or her promotion. See 28 U.S.C. § 45.
The above rules have applied since October 1, 1982. The office of Chief Judge was created in 1948 and until August 6, 1959 was filled by the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire on what has since 1958 been known as senior status or declined to serve as Chief Judge. From then until 1982 it was filled by the senior such judge who had not turned 70.
The current Chief Judge of the Seventh Circuit is Judge Frank Easterbrook, who succeeded Judge Joel Flaum in November 2006. Judge Diane Wood is in line to be the next chief judge, as the only judges more senior than her in regular active service who have not already served as chief judge (Judges Michael Kanne and Ilana Rovner) will be older than 65 when Chief Judge Easterbrook's term expires in 2013. Judge Wood would be the first female chief judge of the court.
Succession of seats
The court has eleven seats for active judges, numbered in the order in which they were filled. Judges who retire into senior status remain on the bench but leave their seat vacant. That seat is filled by the next circuit judge appointed by the president.
Seat 1 Established on December 10, 1869 by the Judiciary Act of 1869 as a circuit judgeship for the Seventh Circuit Reassigned to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by the Judiciary Act of 1891 Gresham IN 1891–1893 Jenkins WI 1893–1905 Seaman WI 1905–1915 E. Evans WI 1916–1948 Duffy WI 1949–1966 Fairchild WI 1966–1981 Coffey WI 1982–2004 Sykes WI 2004–present Seat 2 Established on June 16, 1891 by the Judiciary Act of 1891 Woods IN 1892–1901 Baker IN 1902–1924 Anderson IN 1925–1929 Sparks IN 1929–1948 Finnegan IL 1949–1959 Castle IL 1959–1970 Sprecher IL 1971–1982 Flaum IL 1983–present Seat 3 Established on February 8, 1895 by 28 Stat. 643 Showalter IL 1895–1898 Grosscup IL 1899–1911 Alschuler IL 1915–1936 Treanor IN 1937–1941 Minton IN 1941–1949 Lindley IL 1949–1958 Knoch IL 1958–1967 Kerner, Jr. IL 1968–1974 Bauer IL 1974–1994 D. Wood IL 1995–present Seat 4 Established on March 3, 1905 by 33 Stat. 992 Kohlsaat IL 1905–1918 Page IL 1919–1930 FitzHenry IL 1933–1935 Major IL 1937–1956 Hastings IN 1957–1969 Pell IN 1970–1984 Manion IN 1986–2007 Tinder IN 2007–present Seat 5 Established on May 31, 1938 by 52 Stat. 584 Kerner, Sr. IL 1938–1952 Schnackenberg IL 1953–1968 Stevens IL 1970–1975 H. Wood IL 1976–1992 Rovner IL 1992–present Seat 6 Established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 Swaim IN 1949–1957 Parkinson IN 1957–1959 Kiley IL 1961–1974 Tone IL 1974–1980 Posner IL 1981–present Seat 7 Established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 Swygert IN 1961–1981 Eschbach IN 1981–1985 Kanne IN 1987–present Seat 8 Established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 Cummings IL 1966–1999 Williams IL 1999–present Seat 9 Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629, 1632 Cudahy IL 1979–1994 T. Evans WI 1995–2010 (vacant) (n/a) 2010–present Seat 10 Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 Easterbrook IL 1985–present Seat 11 Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 Ripple IN 1985–2008 Hamilton IN 2009–present See also
- Federal judicial appointment history#Seventh Circuit
See also
References
- ^ Lewis, Neil A. (May 11, 2009). "Potential Justice Offers a Counterpoint in Chicago". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/us/politics/12wood.html. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
- ^ Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate, 7/14/10
- ^ Gresham was appointed as a circuit judge for the Seventh Circuit in 1884. The Judiciary Act of 1891 reassigned his seat to what is now the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
- ^ a b c d Recess appointment, later confirmed by the United States Senate.
- "Standard Search". Federal Law Clerk Information System. https://lawclerks.ao.uscourts.gov/web/jobSearch. Retrieved July 2, 2005.
- primary but incomplete source for the duty stations
- "Instructions for Judicial Directory". Website of the University of Texas Law School. Archived from the original on November 11, 2005. http://web.archive.org/web/20051111193332/http://www.utexas.edu/law/depts/career/downloads/judicial_listing.html. Retrieved July 2, 2005.
- secondary source for the duty stations
- data is current to 2002
- "U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit". Official website of the Federal Judicial Center. Archived from the original on April 18, 2005. http://web.archive.org/web/20050418043257/http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/usca_07_frm?OpenFrameSet. Retrieved July 2, 2005.
- source for the state, lifetime, term of active judgeship, term of chief judgeship, term of senior judgeship, appointer, termination reason, and seat information
External links
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- Recent opinions from FindLaw
- Official wiki of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit — Launched April 18, 2007
- The Seventh Circuit Review
United States courts of appeals 
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- Organizations based in Chicago, Illinois
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
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