7th Circuit Case Commentaries

Affirmation of Dismissal in Legal Malpractice: West Bend Mutual Insurance Co. v. Paul W. Schumacher et al.

Date: Dec 22, 2016

Affirmation of Dismissal in Legal Malpractice: West Bend Mutual Insurance Co. v. Paul W. Schumacher et al. Introduction In West Bend Mutual Insurance Company v. Paul W. Schumacher, et al., reported...

Affirmation of Sovereign Immunity Exceptions and Strict Enforcement of Attorney Fee Allocation under the Prison Litigation Reform Act

Date: Dec 22, 2016

Affirmation of Sovereign Immunity Exceptions and Strict Enforcement of Attorney Fee Allocation under the Prison Litigation Reform Act Introduction In the case of Charles Murphy v. Robert Smith and...

7th Circuit Establishes Limits on Absolute Immunity in License Renewal Cases

Date: Dec 14, 2016

7th Circuit Establishes Limits on Absolute Immunity in License Renewal Cases Introduction In the case of James Brunson and Brunson Package, Inc. v. Scott Murray, et al. (843 F.3d 698, 7th Cir. 2016),...

Katz–Crank v. Haskett: Affirmation of Eleventh Amendment and Prosecutorial Immunity in Defamation Claims

Date: Dec 9, 2016

Katz–Crank v. Haskett: Affirmation of Eleventh Amendment and Prosecutorial Immunity in Defamation Claims Introduction Katz–Crank v. Kimberly Haskett, 843 F.3d 641 (7th Cir. 2016), is a pivotal case...

Student-Athletes Not Employees Under FLSA: Affirmation of Amateurism Principle

Date: Dec 6, 2016

Student-Athletes Not Employees Under FLSA: Affirmation of Amateurism Principle Introduction In the landmark case Berger et al. v. National Collegiate Athletic Association et al., the United States...

Establishing Jury Responsibility for "Brandish" in 18 U.S.C. §924(c) Convictions: Insights from United States v. Cardena et al.

Date: Nov 19, 2016

Establishing Jury Responsibility for "Brandish" in 18 U.S.C. §924(c) Convictions: Insights from United States v. Cardena et al. Introduction The case of United States of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,...

Revisiting the Definition of "Crime of Violence" and Mandatory Sentencing: Insights from United States v. Armour

Date: Nov 2, 2016

Revisiting the Definition of "Crime of Violence" and Mandatory Sentencing: Insights from United States v. Armour Introduction United States v. Armour, 840 F.3d 904 (7th Cir. 2016), revolves around...

Stringent Criteria for Equitable Tolling Under AEDPA Affirmed in Carpenter v. Douma

Date: Oct 29, 2016

Stringent Criteria for Equitable Tolling Under AEDPA Affirmed in Carpenter v. Douma Introduction Carpenter v. Douma, 840 F.3d 867 (7th Cir. 2016), is a pivotal case that reaffirms the strict...

Prioritizing Treating Physicians' Opinions and Subjective Pain in Disability Claims: Israel v. Colvin

Date: Oct 22, 2016

Prioritizing Treating Physicians' Opinions and Subjective Pain in Disability Claims: Israel v. Colvin Introduction In the landmark case of Erik S. Israel v. Carolyn W. Colvin, the United States Court...

Seventh Circuit Broadens Retaliation Claims Beyond Formal Applications

Date: Oct 20, 2016

Seventh Circuit Broadens Retaliation Claims Beyond Formal Applications Introduction In the case of Shannon Volling and Allen Springer v. Kurtz Paramedic Services, Inc. (840 F.3d 378), the United...

Assessing Judicial Impartiality in Probation Revocations: Insights from Alston v. Smith

Date: Oct 19, 2016

Assessing Judicial Impartiality in Probation Revocations: Insights from Alston v. Smith Introduction In the case of Eric T. Alston v. Judy P. Smith (840 F.3d 363), the United States Court of Appeals...

Deliberate Indifference in Prison Healthcare: Insights from Jocelyn Chatham v. n T. McDonald

Date: Oct 18, 2016

Deliberate Indifference in Prison Healthcare: Insights from Jocelyn Chatham v. Marvin T. McDonald Introduction The case of Jocelyn Chatham, Administrator of the Estate of Marvin T. McDonald v. Randy...

Due Process Protections in University Disciplinary Actions: An Analysis of Hess v. Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University

Date: Oct 14, 2016

Due Process Protections in University Disciplinary Actions: An Analysis of Hess v. Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University Introduction Hess v. Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois...

Affirmation of Summary Judgment in Eighth Amendment Medical Negligence Claim: Establishing the High Bar for Deliberate Indifference

Date: Oct 13, 2016

Affirmation of Summary Judgment in Eighth Amendment Medical Negligence Claim: Establishing the High Bar for Deliberate Indifference Introduction The case of Calvin Whiting v. Wexford Health Sources,...

Clarifying Illinois Spoliation of Evidence: Reasonable Probability Standard Affirmed

Date: Oct 8, 2016

Clarifying Illinois Spoliation of Evidence: Reasonable Probability Standard Affirmed Introduction The case of Matthew Schaefer, et al. v. Universal Scaffolding & Equipment, LLC, et al. (839 F.3d 599)...

Standing and Concrete Injury under RESPA: Analysis of Diedrich v. Ocwen

Date: Oct 7, 2016

Standing and Concrete Injury under RESPA: Analysis of Diedrich v. Ocwen Introduction The case of Daniel Diedrich and Natalie Diedrich v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC (839 F.3d 583) heard by the United...

Limiting Retaliation Claims through Employer-Imposed Reporting Timelines: Lord v. High Voltage Software, Inc.

Date: Oct 6, 2016

Limiting Retaliation Claims through Employer-Imposed Reporting Timelines: Lord v. High Voltage Software, Inc. Introduction Lord v. High Voltage Software, Inc. (839 F.3d 556) is a significant...

Clarifying 'Severe Impairment' in Disability Claims for Schizophrenia: Meuser v. Colvin

Date: Oct 4, 2016

Clarifying 'Severe Impairment' in Disability Claims for Schizophrenia: Meuser v. Colvin Introduction In the landmark case George B. Meuser v. Carolyn W. Colvin, decided on October 3, 2016, by the...

Liability for Hostile Work Environment Under Title VII: Insights from Jerome Cole v. Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University

Date: Sep 28, 2016

Liability for Hostile Work Environment Under Title VII: Insights from Jerome Cole v. Board of Trustees of Northern Illinois University Introduction The case of Jerome Cole v. Board of Trustees of...

Chambers Exception Applied: 7th Circuit Reverses Death Sentence in Kubsch v. Neal

Date: Sep 24, 2016

Chambers Exception Applied: 7th Circuit Reverses Death Sentence in Kubsch v. Neal Introduction Wayne Kubsch, the petitioner-appellant, was originally convicted for the triple murder of Beth Kubsch,...