United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

7th Circuit Chicago, Illinois

About This Court

Hears appeals from the district courts of the 7th Circuit, listed below. Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, along with the court's own rules.

Active Judges 11

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
Michael Brennan	Donald J. Trump	2018	Northwestern University School of Law (now Pritzker School of Law)
Frank Easterbrook	Ronald Reagan	1985	University of Chicago Law School
Candace Jackson-Akiwumi	Joseph R. Biden	2021	Yale Law School
Thomas Kirsch	Donald J. Trump	2020	Harvard Law School
Joshua Kolar	Joseph R. Biden	2024	Northwestern University School of Law (now Pritzker School of Law)
John Lee	Joseph R. Biden	2022	Harvard Law School
Nancy Maldonado	Joseph R. Biden	2024	Columbia Law School
Doris Pryor	Joseph R. Biden	2022	Indiana University School of Law -- Bloomington (now Maurer School of Law)
Michael Scudder	Donald J. Trump	2018	Northwestern University School of Law (now Pritzker School of Law)
Amy St. Eve	Donald J. Trump	2018	Cornell Law School
Rebecca Taibleson	Donald J. Trump	2025	Yale Law School

Senior Judges 4

Name	Appointed By	Confirmed	Law School
David Hamilton	Barack Obama	2009	Yale Law School
Kenneth Ripple	Ronald Reagan	1985	University of Virginia School of Law
Ilana Rovner	George H.W. Bush	1992	Chicago-Kent College of Law
Diane Sykes	George W. Bush	2004	Marquette University Law School

Local Rules

The Circuit Rules and Operating Procedures of the Seventh Circuit, which supplement the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.

Title I. Applicability of Rules 2

Rule	Title
Circuit Rule 1	Scope of Rules
Circuit Rule 2	Suspension of Circuit Rules

Title II. Appeal from a Judgment or Order of a District Court 6

Rule	Title
Circuit Rule 3	Notice of Appeal, Docketing Fee, Docketing Statement, and Designation of Counsel of Record
Circuit Rule 8	Motions for Stays and Injunctions Pending Appeal
Circuit Rule 9	Motions Concerning Custody Pending Trial or Appeal
Circuit Rule 10	Preparation and Accessibility of Record in District Court Appeals
Circuit Rule 11	[Rescinded]
Circuit Rule 12	Docketing the Appeal

Title VI. Habeas Corpus; Proceedings in Forma Pauperis 2

Rule	Title
Circuit Rule 22	Death Penalty Cases
Circuit Rule 22.2	Successive Petitions for Collateral Review

Title VII. General Provisions 32

Rule	Title
Circuit Rule 25	Electronic Filing
Circuit Rule 26	Extensions of Time to File Briefs
Circuit Rule 26.1	Disclosure Statement
Circuit Rule 27	Emergency Filings
Circuit Rule 28	Briefs
Circuit Rule 28.1	Cross-Appeals
Circuit Rule 29	Brief of an Amicus Curiae
Circuit Rule 30	Appendices
Circuit Rule 31	Filing of Briefs and Failure to Timely File Briefs
Circuit Rule 32	Form of a Brief
Circuit Rule 32.1	Publication of Opinions
Circuit Rule 33	Prehearing Conference
Circuit Rule 34	Oral Argument
Circuit Rule 35	Petitions for Rehearing En Banc [Rescinded]
Circuit Rule 36	Reassignment of Remanded Cases
Circuit Rule 39	Costs of Printing Briefs and Appendices
Circuit Rule 40	Petitions for Rehearing
Circuit Rule 41	Immediate Issuance of Mandate After Certain Dispositions
Circuit Rule 43	Change in Public Offices
Circuit Rule 45	Fees
Circuit Rule 46	Attorneys
Circuit Rule 46.1	Duties, Withdrawal, and Appointment of Trial Counsel in Criminal Cases
Circuit Rule 47	Advisory Committee
Circuit Rule 50	Judges to Give Reasons when Dismissing a Claim, Granting Summary Judgment, or Entering an Appealable Order
Circuit Rule 51	Summary Disposition of Certain Appeals by Convicted Persons; Waiver of Appeal
Circuit Rule 52	Certification of Questions of State Law
Circuit Rule 53	[Rescinded]
Circuit Rule 54	Remands from Supreme Court
Circuit Rule 55	Prohibition of Photographs and Broadcasts
Circuit Rule 56	Opportunity to Object and Make Proposals on the Record
Circuit Rule 57	Remands for Revision of Judgment [Rescinded]
Circuit Rule 60	Seventh Circuit Judicial Conference

Appendix of Forms to the Circuit Rules 3

Rule	Title
Appendix I	Notice Re: Defendant Counsel's Motion for Leave to Withdraw under Circuit Rule 51(b)
Appendix II	Form of Notice for Motion for Dismissal under Circuit Rule 51(d)
Appendix III	Form of Acknowledgment of Attorney's Motion for Dismissal and Consent to the Dismissal of the Appeal

Operating Procedures 12

Rule	Title
Operating Procedures	Introduction
Operating Procedure 1	Motions
Operating Procedure 2	Titles and Precedence of Judges
Operating Procedure 3	Issuance of Opinions [abrogated]
Operating Procedure 4	Inclusion of Costs [abrogated]
Operating Procedure 5	Hearings and Rehearings En Banc
Operating Procedure 6	Panel Assignments in Certain Cases
Operating Procedure 7	Routine Action by the Clerk
Operating Procedure 8	Multiple Appeals
Operating Procedure 9	Presumptive Times for Action
Operating Procedure 10	Sealing Portions of the Record
Operating Procedure 11	Video-Recording Policy

Plan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit to Supplement the Plans of the Several United States District Courts within the Seventh Circuit 9

Rule	Title
CJA Plan	Introduction
CJA Plan I	Statement of Policy
CJA Plan II	Preparation of Panel of Attorneys
CJA Plan III	Determination of Need for Appointment of Counsel
CJA Plan IV	Appointment of Counsel
CJA Plan V	Duties of Appointed Counsel
CJA Plan VI	Payment of Claims for Compensation and Expenses
CJA Plan VII	Miscellaneous
CJA Plan VIII	Effective Date

Standards for Professional Conduct within the Seventh Federal Judicial Circuit 4

Rule	Title
Preamble	Standards for Professional Conduct
Lawyers' Duties to Other Counsel	Standards for Professional Conduct
Lawyers' Duties to the Court	Standards for Professional Conduct
Courts' Duties to Lawyers	Standards for Professional Conduct

District Courts in the 7th Circuit 7

Central District of Illinois Springfield, Illinois Northern District of Illinois Chicago, Illinois Southern District of Illinois East St. Louis, Illinois Northern District of Indiana South Bend, Indiana Southern District of Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Eastern District of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin Western District of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin