Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judges
Chicago · 11 active judgeships · Hears appeals from the federal courts in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is one of the thirteen U.S. courts of appeals, the intermediate appellate tier of the federal judiciary. It hears appeals from the federal district courts within the Seventh Circuit, which covers Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Its decisions bind those courts unless reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States.
7th Circuit judges by appointing president
Of 11 active judges: 6 appointed by Republican presidents, 5 by Democratic.
| Judge | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Hoover Easterbrook | Reagan | Republican |
| Michael Brian Brennan | Trump | Republican |
| Michael Yale Scudder Jr. | Trump | Republican |
| Amy Joan St. Eve | Trump | Republican |
| Thomas Lee Kirsch II | Trump | Republican |
| Candace Rae Jackson-Akiwumi | Biden | Democratic |
| John Zihun Lee | Biden | Democratic |
| Doris Lenea Pryor | Biden | Democratic |
| Joshua Paul Kolar | Biden | Democratic |
| Nancy Lee Maldonado | Biden | Democratic |
| Rebecca Liane Taibleson | Trump | Republican |
Party letters here are the appointing president’s, never a judge’s own: D Democratic, R Republican, N pre-modern-party era (Federalist, Whig, and other early parties); “–” means no recorded party. Counts cover the court’s entire history.
Judges in active service
- Frank H. Easterbrook
- Michael B. Brennan
- Michael Y. Scudder Jr.
- Amy J. S. Eve
- Thomas L. Kirsch II
- Candace R. Jackson-Akiwumi
- John Z. Lee
- Doris L. Pryor
- Joshua P. Kolar
- Nancy L. Maldonado
- Rebecca L. Taibleson
Senior judges
Still members of the court: senior judges have stepped back from a full docket but continue to hear cases.
Seats over time
Each band is one judgeship, from the court’s founding to today. A segment’s width is the holder’s tenure; its color is the appointing president’s party. Gaps are vacancies.
Diane S. Sykes (current) · Rebecca Liane Taibleson (current) · Candace Rae Jackson-Akiwumi (current) · John Zihun Lee (current) · Thomas Lee Kirsch II (current) · Ilana Kara Diamond Rovner (current) · Nancy Lee Maldonado (current) · Michael Yale Scudder Jr. (current) · Joshua Paul Kolar (current) · Amy Joan St. Eve (current) · Michael Brian Brennan (current) · Frank Hoover Easterbrook (current) · Kenneth Francis Ripple (current) · David Frank Hamilton (current) · Doris Lenea Pryor (current) · William Joseph Bauer · Joel Martin Flaum
Former judges
District courts in the Seventh Circuit
The federal trial courts whose appeals this circuit reviews.
Historical district courts
Earlier districts in this circuit’s territory that no longer operate: reorganized or split into today’s districts. Kept for the judges who served on them.
Practicing before this court
The rules that govern a case here (the Seventh Circuit’s local rules, standing orders, and each judge’s own procedures) live on the court’s official site. Direct links:
Links to the court’s own site, verified 2026-07-05. Rules change. Confirm against the court’s current posting before filing.
How a judge gets here. Each judge is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat, for life, until they take senior status, or until they leave the bench. Open any judge to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1891. Read more on how federal judges are appointed.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data as of 2026-08-10 (FJC). Verify against the primary source before relying.