7th Circuit Court

Chemerinsky: SCOTUS tariffs case could hinge on plain text interpretation of law or sway toward deference to president

Rarely do issues before the Supreme Court make it to commercials during the World Series. But in the first two games between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays, there were commercials from the Province of Ontario consisting of a 1987 radio address from President Ronald Reagan strongly denouncing tariffs. On Nov. 5, the legality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs will come before the Supreme Court in two consolidated cases.

Oct 28, 2025 10:25 AM CDT

Will Trump’s view of rebellion prevail in suits contesting federal deployment of National Guard?

Updated: So far, three federal judges have ruled against Trump in preliminary decisions, two of which were temporarily stayed in whole or in part by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Oct 16, 2025 3:25 PM CDT

US recognized 11th Circuit precedent prevented release of Epstein grand jury records in Florida, judge says

Precedent by a federal appeals court with jurisdiction over Florida prevents release of grand jury records in the multimillionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein case, a fact recognized by the government, a federal judge in the Southern District of Florida ruled Wednesday.

Jul 24, 2025 2:22 PM CDT

SCOTUS will consider whether Illinois congressman has standing to challenge ballot-counting law

A downstate Illinois congressman who wants to challenge a state law on the counting of mail-in ballots will have his case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jun 3, 2025 11:24 AM CDT

Posner wins dismissal of suit for unpaid salary by pro se plaintiff who led his center for unrepresented litigants

Retired federal appeals Judge Richard Posner has won dismissal of a lawsuit filed by an Indiana man who said he was owed $170,000 in unpaid salary for leading a Posner-founded group that helped litigants representing themselves in court.

May 20, 2025 11:09 AM CDT

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