Northern District of Illinois / Appointed 2013 / Active
Sara Lee Ellis
Judge, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2013 and confirmed by voice vote, Sara Lee Ellis is a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She earned a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1994. Sources: FJC Biographical Directory · Senate confirmation, October 7, 2013
- Appointed by
- Barack Obama, 2013
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- Indiana 1991 · Loyola Chicago Law 1994
- Succeeded
- Joan B. Gottschall
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Northern District of Illinois · succeeded Joan B. Gottschall | Obama (D) | voice |
A per-senator roll-call isn’t shown for this confirmation. The Senate’s recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989; many confirmations (especially before then, and most to the lower courts) were by voice vote or unanimous consent.
Education
| Indiana University | B.A. | 1991 |
| Loyola University Chicago School of Law | J.D. | 1994 |
Sources
12 years on the Northern District of Illinois. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).