U.S. Court of Appeals
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Active judges
| Judge | Status | Appointed by | Senate vote | Commissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Brian Brennan | Chief Judge | Donald J. Trump Republican | 49/46 | May 11, 2018 |
| Frank Hoover Easterbrook | Active | Ronald Reagan Republican | — | April 4, 1985 |
| Michael Yale Scudder Jr. | Active | Donald J. Trump Republican | 90/0 | May 21, 2018 |
| Amy Joan St. Eve | Active | Donald J. Trump Republican | 91/0 | May 23, 2018 |
| Thomas Lee Kirsch II | Active | Donald J. Trump Republican | 51/44 | Dec. 17, 2020 |
| Candace Rae Jackson-Akiwumi | Active | Joseph R. Biden Democratic | 53/40 | July 1, 2021 |
| John Zihun Lee | Active | Joseph R. Biden Democratic | 50/44 | Sept. 9, 2022 |
| Doris Lenea Pryor | Active | Joseph R. Biden Democratic | 60/31 | Dec. 9, 2022 |
| Joshua Paul Kolar | Active | Joseph R. Biden Democratic | 66/25 | Jan. 31, 2024 |
| Nancy Lee Maldonado | Active | Joseph R. Biden Democratic | 47/43 | July 11, 2024 |
| Rebecca Liane Taibleson | Active | Donald J. Trump Republican | 52/46 | Nov. 3, 2025 |
Senior judges
Judges who have taken senior status and continue to hear cases.
| Judge | Status | Appointed by | Senate vote | Senior status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Francis Ripple | Senior | Ronald Reagan Republican | — | Sept. 1, 2008 |
| Ilana Kara Diamond Rovner | Senior | George H.W. Bush Republican | — | July 10, 2024 |
| Diane S. Sykes | Senior | George W. Bush Republican | 70/27 | Oct. 1, 2025 |
| David Frank Hamilton | Senior | Barack Obama Democratic | 59/39 | Dec. 5, 2022 |
Appointment history
Sitting judges grouped by the party of the president who appointed them. This records who nominated each judge; Benchlight does not assign judges a political affiliation of their own.
| Party of appointing president | Active | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Republican | 6 | 3 |
| Democratic | 5 | 1 |
Computed by Benchlight Counted from Federal Judicial Center appointment records for judges currently in service on this court.
Awaiting decision
Argued, with no decision recorded here.
| Case | No. | Argued |
|---|---|---|
| Stephanie Scholl v. Illinois State Police | 25-1847 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Li Men v. Inguran, LLC | 25-3342 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Trent Vanderzee v. University of Chicago Medical | 25-2962 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| United States v. Douglas Gibson | 25-2446 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| United States v. Jamari Edwards | 25-2658 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Matthew L. Stewart v. Nissan North America, Inc. | 25-2790 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Shanice Mathews v. State of Illinois | 25-2182 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| United States v. Ilija Ristik | 25-1987 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| John Hassett v. UAL | 25-3253 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
| A.R.M.R. v. United States | 26-1218 | Sept. 29, 2026 |
Benchlight records a decision when a source publishes one. Most appeals are resolved by unpublished disposition, which its sources do not carry, so a case may appear here after the court has ruled.
Recent cases
| Case | No. | Status | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest Payton v. Union Pacific Railroad Company | 26-1946 | Decided | Sept. 30, 2026 |
| United States v. Douglas Gibson | 25-2446 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| Stephanie Scholl v. Illinois State Police | 25-1847 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| Shanice Mathews v. State of Illinois | 25-2182 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| Matthew L. Stewart v. Nissan North America, Inc. | 25-2790 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| John Hassett v. UAL | 25-3253 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| Christopher Rodgers v. Ron Neal | 24-1231 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| United States v. Jamari Edwards | 25-2658 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| United States v. Ilija Ristik | 25-1987 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| Trent Vanderzee v. University of Chicago Medical | 25-2962 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| Li Men v. Inguran, LLC | 25-3342 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| A.R.M.R. v. United States | 26-1218 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| United States v. Andrew Anania | 25-1876 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| Northwestern Memorial Healthca v. Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthc | 25-2951 | Argued — awaiting decision | |
| Dignity Health v. Health Care Service Corporatio | 25-3245 | Argued — awaiting decision |