United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (in case citation

Case citation

Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...

s, 7th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction

Appellate jurisdiction

Appellate jurisdiction is the power of the Supreme Court to review decisions and change outcomes of decisions of lower courts. Most appellate jurisdiction is legislatively created, and may consist of appeals by leave of the appellate court or by right...

over the courts

United States district court

The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...

in the following districts

United States federal judicial district

For purposes of the federal judicial system, Congress has divided the United States into judicial districts. There are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico...

Central District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois serves the residents of forty-six counties from its four courthouses...
Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is the trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois....
Southern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois is a Federal district court covering approximately the southern half of the state of Illinois....
Northern District of Indiana
United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern and southern. As part of the act, the Northern District was divided into three divisions, South Bend, Fort Wayne and Hammond...
Southern District of Indiana
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern and southern. The Southern District is divided into four divisions, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Evansville and New Albany...
Eastern District of Wisconsin
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin serves the residents of twenty-eight counties from its two courthouses...
Western District of Wisconsin
United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin sits in Madison at the Robert W. Kastenmeier United States Courthouse. It has two district judges and one full-time magistrate judge. The clerk of the court is a part-time magistrate judge...

The court is based at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. It is one of thirteen United States courts of appeals

United States court of appeals

The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...

, composed of eleven judges.

The court offers a unique internet presence that includes a wiki

Wiki

A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...

and RSS

RSS

-Mathematics:* Root-sum-square, the square root of the sum of the squares of the elements of a data set* Residual sum of squares in statistics-Technology:* RSS , "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary", a family of web feed formats...

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

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...

which offers RSS features. It is also notable for having two of the most prominent law and economics scholars, Chief Judge Easterbrook

Frank H. Easterbrook

Frank Hoover Easterbrook is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He has been Chief Judge since November 2006, and has been a judge on the court since 1985...

and Judge Posner

Richard Posner

Richard Allen Posner is an American jurist, legal theorist, and economist who is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School...

, on its panel.

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 Frank H. Easterbrook Frank Hoover Easterbrook is the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He has been Chief Judge since November 2006, and has been a judge on the court since 1985...	Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	1948	1985–present	2006–present	Reagan
41	Richard Posner Richard Posner Richard Allen Posner is an American jurist, legal theorist, and economist who is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School...	Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	1939	1981–present	1993–2000	Reagan
43	Joel Martin Flaum Joel Martin Flaum Joel Martin Flaum is a United States federal judge.Born in Hudson, New York, Flaum received a B.A. from Union College in 1958, a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1963, and an LL.M. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1964. He was a U.S...	Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	1936	1983–present	2000–2006	Reagan
47	Michael Stephen Kanne Michael Stephen Kanne Michael Stephen Kanne is a United States federal judge.Born in Rensselaer, Indiana, Kanne received a B.S. from Indiana University in 1962. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from 1962 to 1965, then received a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1968...	Lafayette, IN Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...	1938	1987–present	——	Reagan
48	Ilana Rovner Ilana Rovner Ilana Kara Diamond Rovner is a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on July 2, 1992, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 12, 1992. Rovner was sworn in on August 17, 1992...	Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	1938	1992–present	——	G.H.W. Bush
49	Diane Pamela Wood Diane Pamela Wood Diane Pamela Wood is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School....	Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	1950	1995–present	——	Clinton
51	Ann Claire Williams Ann Claire Williams Ann Claire Williams is a United States Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.- Early life and education :Born in Detroit, Williams earned a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University in 1970...	Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	1949	1999–present	——	Clinton
52	Diane S. Sykes Diane S. Sykes Diane Schwerm Sykes is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and former Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.-Background:...	Milwaukee, WI	1957	2004–present	——	G.W. Bush
53	John Daniel Tinder John Daniel Tinder John Daniel Tinder is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.- Background :Tinder is a native Hoosier, and went to Indiana University for college and law school. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1972, and his law degree in 1975. While in...	Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...	1950	2007–present	——	G.W. Bush
54	David F. Hamilton	Bloomington, IN Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....	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 Terence T. Evans Terence Thomas Evans was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.Evans received a B.A.degree from Marquette University in 1962 and his J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School in 1967. He was assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin and was...	Senior status Senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...	January 7, 2010	Victoria F. Nourse Victoria F. Nourse Victoria Frances Nourse is currently the Burrus-Bascom Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin School of Law. She is also the nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.-Early life and education:...	July 14, 2010

Senior

Five judges currently serve on the court on senior status

Senior status

Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...

#	Judge	Duty station	Born	Active service	Chief	Senior Senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status... since	Appointed by
37	William Joseph Bauer William Joseph Bauer William J. Bauer is a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago.Judge Bauer was born in Chicago, Illinois before moving with his family to Elmhurst. After serving in the U.S. Army , he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elmhurst College , and a J.D...	Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	1926	1974–1994	1986–1993	1994–present	Ford
39	Richard Dickson Cudahy Richard Dickson Cudahy Richard Dickson Cudahy is a United States federal judge.Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cudahy received a B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1948, and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1955. He was a Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps from 1948 to 1951....	Chicago, IL Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...	1926	1979–1994	——	1994–present	Carter
42	John Louis Coffey John Louis Coffey John Louis Coffey is a United States federal judge.Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Coffey received a B.A. from Marquette University in 1943 and was in the United States Navy during World War II, from 1943 to 1946. He received a LL.D. from Marquette University Law School in 1948. He was an Assistant...	Milwaukee, WI	1922	1982–2004	——	2004–present	Reagan
45	Kenneth Francis Ripple Kenneth Francis Ripple Kenneth Francis Ripple is a Senior Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He received an A.B...	South Bend, IN South Bend, Indiana The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...	1943	1985–2008	——	2008–present	Reagan
46	Daniel Anthony Manion Daniel Anthony Manion Daniel Anthony Manion is a Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.Manion received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1964. At Notre Dame, Manion was a participant in the Bengal Bouts. Following graduation, Manion served in the Army in the Vietnam War...	South Bend, IN South Bend, Indiana The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...	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 Senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...	Reason for termination
1		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1832–1895	1891–1893	——	——	resignation
2		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1837–1901	1892–1901	——	——	death
3		Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...	1834–1921	1893–1905	——	——	retirement
4		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1844–1898	1895–1898	——	——	death
5		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1852–1921	1899–1911	——	——	resignation
6		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1860–1924	1902–1924	——	——	death
7		Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...	1842–1915	1905–1915	——	——	death
8		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1844–1918	1905–1918	——	——	death
9		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1859–1939	1915–1936	——	1936–1939	death
10		Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...	1876–1948	1916–1948	——	——	death
11		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1859–1941	1919–1930	——	1930–1941	death
12		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1857–1938	1925–1929	——	1929–1938	death
13		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1872–1950	1929–1948	1948–1948	1948–1950	death
14		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1870–1935	1933–1935	——	——	death
15		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1887–1972	1937–1956	1948–1954	1956–1972	death
16		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1883–1941	1937–1941	——	——	death
17		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1884–1952	1938–1952	——	——	death
18		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1890–1965	1941–1949	——	——	elevation to the Supreme Court Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
19		Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...	1888–1979	1949–1966	1954–1959	1966–1979	death
20		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1886–1959	1949–1959	——	——	death
21		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1880–1958	1949–1958	——	——	death
22		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1880–1957	1949–1957	——	——	death
23		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1889–1968	1953–1968	——	——	death
24		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1898–1977	1957–1969	1959–1968	1969–1977	death
25		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1902–1959	1957–1959	——	——	death
26		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1895–1983	1958–1967	——	1967–1983	death
27		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1900–1986	1959–1970	1968–1970	1970–1986	death
28		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1900–1974	1961–1974	——	1974–1974	death
29		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1905–1988	1961–1981	1970–1975	1981–1988	death
30		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1916–1999	1966–1999	1981–1986	——	death
31		Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...	1912–2007	1966–1981	1975–1981	1981–2007	death
32		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1908–1976	1968–1974	——	——	resignation
33		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1915–2000	1970–1984	——	1984–2000	death
34		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1920–present	1970–1975	——	——	elevation to the Supreme Court Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
35		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1917–1982	1971–1982	——	——	death
36		Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1923–2001	1974–1980	——	——	resignation
38	Harlington Wood, Jr.	Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...	1920–2008	1976–1992	——	1992–2008	death
40		Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...	1920–2005	1981–1985	——	1985–2005	death
50	Terence T. Evans Terence T. Evans Terence Thomas Evans was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.Evans received a B.A.degree from Marquette University in 1962 and his J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School in 1967. He was assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin and was...	Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...	1940-2011	1995–2010	——	2010–2011	death

Chief judges

EWLINE

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

Chief Justice of the United States

The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court 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.

United States Code

The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...

§ 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

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

border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2>	Seat 1
Established on December 10, 1869 by the Judiciary Act of 1869 Judiciary Act of 1869 The Judiciary Act of 1869 , also called the Circuit Judges Act of 1869, was a United States statute that made two important reforms of the federal judiciary.... as a circuit judgeship United States circuit court The United States circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. They had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversity jurisdiction and major federal crimes. They also had appellate... for the Seventh Circuit
Reassigned to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit by the Judiciary Act of 1891 Judiciary Act of 1891 The Judiciary Act of 1891 , also known as the Evarts Act after its primary sponsor, Senator William M. Evarts, created the United States courts of appeals, and reassigned the jurisdiction of most routine appeals from the district and circuit courts to these appellate courts...
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

border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> Seat 2 Established on June 16, 1891 by the Judiciary Act of 1891

Judiciary Act of 1891

The Judiciary Act of 1891 , also known as the Evarts Act after its primary sponsor, Senator William M. Evarts, created the United States courts of appeals, and reassigned the jurisdiction of most routine appeals from the district and circuit courts to these appellate courts...

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 border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> 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 border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> 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

border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2>	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

border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> 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 border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> Seat 7 Established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 Swygert IN 1961–1981 Eschbach IN 1981–1985 Kanne IN 1987–present border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> Seat 8 Established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 Cummings IL 1966–1999 Williams IL 1999–present

border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2>	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

border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> Seat 10 Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 Easterbrook IL 1985–present border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2> Seat 11 Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 Ripple IN 1985–2008 Hamilton IN 2009–present

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

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