7th Circuit Court

Federal judge’s Columbia clerk boycott didn’t harm public confidence in judiciary, judicial council rules

A judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade did not violate ethics rules by refusing to hire law clerks who attended Columbia University, according to the judicial council of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago.

Apr 10, 2025 11:36 AM CDT

Merely misleading statements aren’t illegal under false statements law, Supreme Court says

A federal law that makes it a crime to knowingly make false statements to influence the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. does not punish statements that are merely misleading, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday.

Mar 24, 2025 3:41 PM CDT

Law prof suspended over exam question, class discussion can sue for First Amendment retaliation, 7th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has revived a First Amendment retaliation claim by a professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law who used an “expurgated racial slur” on an exam question, leading to an investigation, required diversity training, a suspension and denial of a pay raise.

Mar 13, 2025 2:14 PM CDT

Justice Thomas argues college bias-response teams may chill speech in dissent to cert denial

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a First Amendment challenge to Indiana University's use of bias-response teams.

Mar 4, 2025 9:45 AM CST

Lawyer accused of helping client defraud creditors is acquitted a second time

A former Freeborn & Peters lawyer in Illinois has been acquitted of wire fraud a second time in a case stemming from his representation of a neighbor, the owner of a Chicago business that eventually filed for bankruptcy.

Feb 19, 2025 8:52 AM CST

Trump-appointed appeals judges are ‘superstars’ based on 3 measures, study says

Are federal appeals judges appointed by former President Donald Trump disproportionately “superstars in a tournament of judges”? The answer is yes, a new study says, based on three measures used in the past by the study authors.

Sep 12, 2024 3:01 PM CDT

When does DEI training discriminate against white people? Courts will decide

DEI training is coming under special scrutiny, with at least seven court cases pending nationwide alleging that it constitutes workplace discrimination.

Aug 12, 2024 10:35 AM CDT

Sanction affirmed for lawyer accused of cursing and pushing opposing counsel after ‘tense’ deposition

Updated: A federal appeals court has affirmed an attorney fee sanction of nearly $12,000 against a Chicago lawyer accused of misleading the court when she denied intentionally pushing an opposing counsel following a “tense” deposition in July 2017.

Jul 30, 2024 10:30 AM CDT

7th Circuit has no patience for Bernhard Modern—a typeface, not a person

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago is no fan of Bernhard Modern, a typeface used by a Chicago lawyer to the dismay of an appellate panel.

Jun 5, 2024 3:48 PM CDT

Some Jan. 6 rioters win early release, even before key Supreme Court ruling

Federal judges have begun ordering the early release pending appeal of Jan. 6 defendants who challenged their sentences even though the Supreme Court is a week away from hearing arguments on whether a key charge brought against them is legally sound.

Apr 10, 2024 10:00 AM CDT

7th Circuit nominee faces questions about motions backlog

A nominee to a federal appeals court based in Chicago defended her record as a district judge when Republican senators criticized her case backlogs during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week.

Mar 25, 2024 3:33 PM CDT

Qualified immunity shield may depend on size and publication rate of federal appeals court, new report says

Qualified immunity “protects officials too much and our rights too little,” according to a new report by the Institute for Justice based on an analysis of more than 5,500 federal appeals decisions over an 11-year period.

Feb 7, 2024 8:47 AM CST

Supreme Court again refuses to block Illinois ban on assault weapons

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday denied an emergency request to block bans on assault weapons adopted by Illinois and one of its cities.

Dec 15, 2023 9:50 AM CST

UIC law prof appeals after dismissal of civil rights lawsuit

Updated: A professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law has filed an appeal to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago after his case stemming from his use of abbreviated racial and gender slurs in an essay question in a December 2020 final exam was dismissed.

Dec 5, 2023 2:23 PM CST

Ban on approaching or recording hunters violates First Amendment, 7th Circuit says

Citing the First Amendment, a Chicago-based federal appeals court has struck down changes to a Wisconsin “hunter harassment law” that bans recording and approaching hunters.

Nov 21, 2023 9:32 AM CST