7th Circuit Case Commentaries

Effective Assistance of Counsel and Timeliness Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255: Insights from Estremera v. United States

Date: Jul 31, 2013

Effective Assistance of Counsel and Timeliness Under 28 U.S.C. § 2255: Insights from Estremera v. United States Introduction Estremera v. United States is a pivotal case adjudicated by the United...

ERISA Benefits Claims Against Insurers: Insights from Larson v. United Healthcare

Date: Jul 27, 2013

ERISA Benefits Claims Against Insurers: Insights from Larson v. United Healthcare Introduction Case: Cynthia Larson, et al., Plaintiffs–Appellants, v. United Healthcare Insurance Company, et al.,...

Bank Liability in Asset Discovery Proceedings: Mendez v. Republic Bank Sets Precedent

Date: Jul 26, 2013

Bank Liability in Asset Discovery Proceedings: Mendez v. Republic Bank Sets Precedent Introduction The case Nereida Mendez v. Republic Bank (725 F.3d 651) adjudicated by the United States Court of...

Affirmation of Loss Calculation and Definition of Futures Commission Merchant in Fraud Sentencing: United States v. Walsh and Martin

Date: Jul 24, 2013

Affirmation of Loss Calculation and Definition of Futures Commission Merchant in Fraud Sentencing: United States v. Walsh and Martin Introduction In the case of United States of America v. John E....

7th Circuit Upholds Summary Judgment in Ball v. Kotter: Navigating Fiduciary Duty and Legal Malpractice Under Illinois Law

Date: Jul 24, 2013

7th Circuit Upholds Summary Judgment in Ball v. Kotter: Navigating Fiduciary Duty and Legal Malpractice Under Illinois Law Introduction The case of Susan Ball et al. v. Cherie Kotter et al. (723 F.3d...

Precedent-Setting Retaliation Case: Hobgood v. Illinois Gaming Board

Date: Jul 17, 2013

Precedent-Setting Retaliation Case: Hobgood v. Illinois Gaming Board Introduction In the landmark case Thomas Hobgood v. Illinois Gaming Board, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh...

7th Circuit Affirms Right to Amend for In Forma Pauperis Plaintiffs in Title VII Section 1915(e) Dismissals

Date: Jul 17, 2013

7th Circuit Affirms Right to Amend for In Forma Pauperis Plaintiffs in Title VII Section 1915(e) Dismissals Introduction In the case of Tara V. Luevano v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (722 F.3d 1014), the...

Reversing Summary Judgment in Class-of-One Equal Protection Claim: Swanson v. City of Chetek

Date: Jul 13, 2013

Reversing Summary Judgment in Class-of-One Equal Protection Claim: Swanson v. City of Chetek Introduction In Swanson v. City of Chetek, decided on July 12, 2013, the United States Court of Appeals...

Qualified Immunity and Disputed Facts: A Clarification from the Seventh Circuit in Gutierrez v. Kermon

Date: Jul 13, 2013

Qualified Immunity and Disputed Facts: A Clarification from the Seventh Circuit in Gutierrez v. Kermon Introduction Gutierrez v. Kermon is a significant judicial decision rendered by the United...

Futility of Amended Fraud Claims Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 15: Analysis of Shailja Gandhi v. Sitara Capital Management

Date: Jul 10, 2013

Futility of Amended Fraud Claims Under Fed. R. Civ. P. 15: Analysis of Shailja Gandhi v. Sitara Capital Management Introduction The case of Shailja Gandhi, Revocable Trust v. Sitara Capital...

Qualified Immunity in Investigatory Stops: Rabin v. Flynn et al.

Date: Jul 10, 2013

Qualified Immunity in Investigatory Stops: Rabin v. Flynn et al. Introduction The case of Scott Rabin v. Michael Flynn, Todd Knepper, John Quinlan, et al. (725 F.3d 628, 7th Cir. 2013) presents a...

Seventh Circuit Affirms RICO Dismissal: Enterprises Must Act Distinctly from Defendants for Viable Claims

Date: Jul 9, 2013

Seventh Circuit Affirms RICO Dismissal: Enterprises Must Act Distinctly from Defendants for Viable Claims Introduction In the case of United Food and Commercial Workers Unions and Employers Midwest...

Reinforcing Federal Pleading Standards in Insurance Assignment Disputes: Cincinnati Life Insurance Co. v. Beyrer

Date: Jul 9, 2013

Reinforcing Federal Pleading Standards in Insurance Assignment Disputes: Cincinnati Life Insurance Co. v. Beyrer Introduction The case Cincinnati Life Insurance Company v. Marjorie Beyrer, decided by...

Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and Eighth Amendment Cumulative Lockdowns: Turley v. Rednour (7th Cir. 2013)

Date: Jul 4, 2013

Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies and Eighth Amendment Cumulative Lockdowns: Turley v. Rednour (7th Cir. 2013) Introduction Gregory J. Turley v. Dave Rednour et al. is a pivotal case adjudicated...

Affirmation of Conspiracy Convictions and Sentencing Guidelines in Vaughn v. United States

Date: Jul 4, 2013

Affirmation of Conspiracy Convictions and Sentencing Guidelines in Vaughn v. United States Introduction In UNITED STATES of America v. Maurice D. Vaughn and Maurice C. Lockhart (722 F.3d 918, 2013),...

Establishing Plausibility in FTCA Claims: Insights from Alexander v. United States

Date: Jun 27, 2013

Establishing Plausibility in FTCA Claims: Insights from Alexander v. United States Introduction Michael Alexander, a criminal defense attorney from Indiana, filed a lawsuit against the United States...

Reversing Summary Judgment in Schultz v. Akzo Nobel: A New Precedent on Expert Testimony in Toxic Tort Cases

Date: Jun 27, 2013

Reversing Summary Judgment in Schultz v. Akzo Nobel: A New Precedent on Expert Testimony in Toxic Tort Cases Introduction Schultz v. Akzo Nobel Paints, LLC, 721 F.3d 426 (7th Cir. 2013), represents a...

Judicial Estoppel Prevents Fraudulent Malpractice Claims in Bankruptcy Proceedings

Date: Jun 22, 2013

Judicial Estoppel Prevents Fraudulent Malpractice Claims in Bankruptcy Proceedings Introduction Da v. d E. GROCHOCINSKI, not indi (719 F.3d 785) is a pivotal case decided by the United States Court...

Required Factual Specificity for Duty of Fair Representation Breach in LMRA Section 301 Claims: Insights from 7th Circuit in Navistar v. Yeftich

Date: Jun 19, 2013

Required Factual Specificity for Duty of Fair Representation Breach in LMRA Section 301 Claims: Insights from 7th Circuit in Navistar v. Yeftich Introduction The case of Robert Yeftich, et al. v....

Qualified Immunity in Excessive Force Claims: Analysis of Findlay v. Lendermon (722 F.3d 895)

Date: Jun 15, 2013

Qualified Immunity in Excessive Force Claims: Analysis of Findlay v. Lendermon (722 F.3d 895) Introduction The case of Jason Findlay v. Jonathan Lendermon adjudicated by the United States Court of...