U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Overview
The Court
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is one of the thirteen U.S. courts of appeals within the federal judicial system. It is an intermediate appellate court, reviewing decisions from federal district courts and certain federal administrative agencies rather than conducting trials or hearing new evidence. The court sits in Chicago, Illinois, at the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse.
Jurisdiction
The court hears appeals from federal district courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin:
- Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of Illinois
- Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana
- Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin
What the court hears
Appeals are ordinarily heard and decided by three-judge panels. For matters of exceptional importance, the full court may rehear a case en banc. The court also reviews certain federal administrative agency decisions.
Practicing before the court
Admission to a state bar within the circuit does not by itself permit an attorney to appear before the court. Attorneys must apply separately for admission to the bar of the Seventh Circuit. Under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 46, an attorney is eligible if of good moral and professional character and already admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, a state's highest court, another U.S. court of appeals, or a U.S. district court. Applications are filed electronically through the court's ECF system, accompanied by a personal statement and the required oath.
Attorneys
Admitted to the Seventh Circuit
Admission to argue before the Seventh Circuit is a separate credential from state bar membership, one the court grants on its own terms. The attorneys listed below hold that admission and may appear on the firm's behalf here, regardless of which office they call home. This list shows who is credentialed to appear, not a record of matters actually argued before this court; that account lives elsewhere on this page. The number may be small or it may be large. The standard behind the credential does not change.
Matters
Appearances Before the Seventh Circuit
Before the Seventh Circuit, as in every court where the firm appears, its history is told through the matters it has carried, not through description. What follows is a record of that work: proceedings the firm has handled before this court, presented as they occurred. Each depended on its own facts and record, and nothing here forecasts how a future matter before this court will go.
Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict a similar outcome in any future matter. Every engagement is unique and must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances.
For matters headed to Chicago
Discuss Your Seventh Circuit Matter
A Seventh Circuit matter rewards preparation that begins well before a brief is due. That same discipline shapes the firm's broader litigation experience. Reach out to discuss where things stand.