7th Circuit Case Commentaries

Pregnancy Discrimination Reinforced: Hitchcock v. Angel Corps Establishes Pretextual Termination Standards

Date: Jun 12, 2013

Pregnancy Discrimination Reinforced: Hitchcock v. Angel Corps Establishes Pretextual Termination Standards Introduction Jennifer Hitchcock, a client services supervisor at Angel Corps, Inc., filed a...

Cost Allocation in Regional Transmission Organizations: Illinois Commerce Commission v. FERC

Date: Jun 8, 2013

Cost Allocation in Regional Transmission Organizations: Illinois Commerce Commission v. FERC Introduction The case Illinois Commerce Commission, et al. v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),...

Navejar v. Iyiola: Enhancing the Right to Counsel for Pro Se Prisoners in Civil Rights Litigation

Date: May 30, 2013

Navejar v. Iyiola: Enhancing the Right to Counsel for Pro Se Prisoners in Civil Rights Litigation Introduction In Eduardo Navejar v. Akinola Iyiola, et al., 718 F.3d 692 (7th Cir. 2013), the United...

Carthage College v. Katherine Lees: 7th Circuit Clarifies Rule 702 in Campus Security Negligence

Date: May 29, 2013

Carthage College v. Katherine Lees: 7th Circuit Clarifies Rule 702 in Campus Security Negligence Introduction Carthage College v. Katherine Lees, 714 F.3d 516 (7th Cir. 2013), is a pivotal case...

Expanding Fraudulent Joinder Doctrine: Implications from Tommy L. Morris v. Salvatore Nuzzo

Date: May 24, 2013

Expanding Fraudulent Joinder Doctrine: Implications from Tommy L. Morris v. Salvatore Nuzzo Introduction The case of Tommy L. Morris v. Salvatore Nuzzo ([718 F.3d...

Reevaluation of Career Offender Classification under § 2241: Brown v. Caraway, 719 F.3d 583

Date: May 11, 2013

Reevaluation of Career Offender Classification under § 2241: Brown v. Caraway, 719 F.3d 583 Introduction In the landmark case of Royce Brown v. John F. Caraway, Warden, 719 F.3d 583 (7th Cir. 2013),...

Seventh Circuit Upholds SORNA's Nondelegation, Addresses Sentencing Errors and Supervised Release Conditions in Goodwin v. United States

Date: May 9, 2013

Seventh Circuit Upholds SORNA's Nondelegation, Addresses Sentencing Errors and Supervised Release Conditions in Goodwin v. United States Introduction In the case of United States of America v....

Summary Judgment Affirmed: ADA and FMLA Protections in Employee Termination - Basden v. PTI

Date: May 9, 2013

Summary Judgment Affirmed: ADA and FMLA Protections in Employee Termination - Basden v. Professional Transportation, Inc. Introduction Terri Basden v. Professional Transportation, Inc. is a pivotal...

Prudential's Alliance Account Payment Method Upheld: Implications for Insurance Beneficiary Rights

Date: May 7, 2013

Prudential's Alliance Account Payment Method Upheld: Implications for Insurance Beneficiary Rights Introduction The case of Zena Phillips vs. The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco...

Strengthening Enforcement of ADA Accommodation Requirements and Punitive Damages Standards: EEOC v. AutoZone, Inc.

Date: May 3, 2013

Strengthening Enforcement of ADA Accommodation Requirements and Punitive Damages Standards: EEOC v. AutoZone, Inc. Introduction The case of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. AutoZone, Inc....

Standards for Counsel Recruitment and Spoliation Sanctions in Eighth Amendment Excessive Force Claims: Insights from Bracey v. Grondin

Date: May 2, 2013

Standards for Counsel Recruitment and Spoliation Sanctions in Eighth Amendment Excessive Force Claims: Insights from Bracey v. Grondin Introduction Bracey v. Grondin, 712 F.3d 1012 (7th Cir. 2013),...

7th Circuit Validates Employer’s Legitimate Reasons Against Religious Discrimination and Defamation Claims

Date: Apr 26, 2013

7th Circuit Validates Employer’s Legitimate Reasons Against Religious Discrimination and Defamation Claims Introduction In the case of Emilio Martino v. Western & Southern Financial Group, decided on...

Deliberate Indifference and Jail Security Classification: Insights from Smith v. Sangamon County Sheriff's Department

Date: Apr 20, 2013

Deliberate Indifference and Jail Security Classification: Insights from Smith v. Sangamon County Sheriff's Department Introduction The case of Jimmy E. Smith, Jr. v. Sangamon County Sheriff's...

Affirmation of Summary Judgment in ADA and Title VII Employment Discrimination Case: Majors v. GE

Date: Apr 17, 2013

Affirmation of Summary Judgment in ADA and Title VII Employment Discrimination Case: Majors v. GE Introduction In the case of Renee S. Majors v. General Electric Company, Renee S. Majors, a long-term...

7th Circuit Affirms Enforceability of Liquidated Damages and Implied Good Faith in Condominium Contracts

Date: Apr 11, 2013

7th Circuit Affirms Enforceability of Liquidated Damages and Implied Good Faith in Condominium Contracts Introduction In the case of Michael Burke v. 401 N. Wabash Venture, LLC, the United States...

Beyond Speculation: Upholding Reasonable Doubt with Circumstantial Evidence in United States v. Terrance Jones

Date: Apr 10, 2013

Beyond Speculation: Upholding Reasonable Doubt with Circumstantial Evidence in United States v. Terrance Jones Introduction United States of America v. Terrance Jones (713 F.3d 336) is a pivotal case...

Affirmation of Conviction in Berg: Proper Joinder and Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Analyzed

Date: Apr 10, 2013

Affirmation of Conviction in United States v. Berg: Proper Joinder and Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Analyzed Introduction United States of America v. Jeremiah S. Berg is a notable case...

Cloe v. City of Indianapolis: Strengthening ADA Protections Against Retaliation

Date: Apr 10, 2013

Cloe v. City of Indianapolis: Strengthening ADA Protections Against Retaliation Introduction Cloe v. City of Indianapolis is a pivotal case adjudicated by the United States Court of Appeals for the...

Indemnification Clarity: Steine Cold Storage v. NES Rentals Holdings

Date: Apr 9, 2013

Indemnification Clarity: Steine Cold Storage v. NES Rentals Holdings Introduction The case of NES Rentals Holdings, Inc., et al. v. Steine Cold Storage, Inc. (714 F.3d 449) adjudicated by the United...

Establishing Summary Judgment Standards: Modrowski v. Pigatto et al.

Date: Apr 9, 2013

Establishing Summary Judgment Standards: Modrowski v. Pigatto et al. Introduction Leon Modrowski v. John Pigatto, Frank Pigatto, Taq Properties, LLC, and Capps Management is a pivotal case decided by...