Tuesday, May 14, 2024

President Biden's Impact on the Seventh Federal Circuit Judiciary

 The Seventh Circuit is home to the third largest District in the Federal Court System of Northern Illinois with 23 seats, after Southern New York (New York City) and Central California (Los Angeles-Riverside-San Bernadino) with 28 seats each.  Not surprisingly, former President Obama's footprint through the judiciary is still strong in All three Illinois-based Districts, as well as, Western Wisconsin with both seats are held by his appointees.  Former President Trump made some appointments, but out of deference to his longtime colleague and friend, Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, Senator McConnell allowed non-Federalist Society candidates to be nominated and confirmed at the District level.  With the benevolence of the Republican Senators from Indiana, there have been modest but important gains in both gender and diversity in this circuit.

A ten percentage point gain of women on the Appeals Court is only eclipsed by the Diversity stats.  From ZERO non-white judges to 36%.  In the District of Northern Illinois the number of non-white justices went from 9 put 22 to 12 out of 23.  The District of Northern Indiana becomes the first District in the Seventh Circuit to become majority female, while both Central and Southern Illinois maintained gender parity.














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