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Employment Rulings in the Seventh Circuit

The Seventh Circuit covers the federal courts in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. The rulings below come from the circuit's court of appeals and the federal trial courts within it.

Of the 2,293 published rulings we track here (19732026), the breakdowns below show how they were decided. They describe published opinions only — not the odds of any particular situation.

How These Rulings Ended

Of the 2,293 published rulings we track in the Seventh Circuit.

Defendant Win
994 (43%)
Plaintiff Win
418 (18%)
Mixed Result
401 (17%)
Dismissed
288 (13%)
Remanded
154 (7%)
Settlement
38 (2%)

What Happens at Each Stage

A workplace lawsuit moves through stages, and a ruling can end it at any of them. Here is where the 2,252 rulings we could classify by stage were decided.

Appeal
987 (44%)

A higher court reviewing an earlier decision. Many published opinions come from this stage, after a lot has already happened in the case.

Summary judgment
465 (21%)

A ruling where the judge decides the case — or part of it — without a trial, because one side argues the key facts are not in dispute. For workers, getting past this step is often the biggest hurdle.

Of the 465 summary-judgment rulings here, 273 ended the case in the employer’s favor and 191 let the worker’s claims continue; the rest resolved in other ways.

Motion to dismiss
632 (28%)

An early request — usually by the employer — to throw the case out before any evidence is gathered.

Trial verdict
60 (3%)

A judge or jury heard the evidence and reached a decision. Relatively few disputes get this far.

Settlement / consent decree
35 (2%)

The two sides resolved the dispute by agreement, sometimes with court approval. Most settlements are private and never show up in published opinions.

Default judgment
34 (2%)

A decision entered because one side did not respond to the case at all.

Other rulings
39 (2%)

Procedural decisions and orders that do not fit the main stages above.

States in This Circuit

Browse rulings from courts in each state the Seventh Circuit covers.

Recent Rulings in the Seventh Circuit

Rljcs Enterprises, Inc. v. Professional Benefit Trust Multiple Employer Welfare Benefit Plan and Trust

May 2, 20077th CircuitDefendant Win

Adams

May 2, 2007N.D. Ill.Mixed Result

Bagienski

Apr 30, 2007S.D. Ind.Defendant Win

Chatz

Apr 12, 2007N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Moglia

Mar 27, 2007N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Schneider National, Inc.

Mar 21, 20077th CircuitDefendant Win

EEOC v. Schneider Nat'l Inc

Mar 21, 20077th CircuitDefendant Win

Heather Gillespie and Angela Cinson v. Trans Union Corporation, a Delaware Corporation

Mar 16, 20077th CircuitDefendant Win

Gillespie, Heather v. Trans Union, LLC

Mar 16, 20077th CircuitDefendant Win

Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees v. CSX Transportation, Inc.

Mar 2, 20077th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Brotherhood Of Maintenance Of Way Employees v. Csx Transportation

Mar 2, 20077th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Cowley

Feb 28, 2007W.D. Wis.Defendant Win

Abbott Laboratories v. Andrx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Feb 20, 2007N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

American Roller Co. v. Foster-Adams Leasing, LLP

Feb 6, 2007N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Abbott Laboratories v. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Feb 2, 20077th CircuitDefendant Win

Volkswagen of America, Inc. v. Sud's of Peoria, Inc.

Jan 29, 20077th CircuitDefendant Win

Volkswagen Of America, Inc. v. Sud's Of Peoria, Inc.

Jan 29, 20077th CircuitDefendant Win

Old Ben Coal Company v. Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, United States Department of Labor, and Anna Melvin

Jan 25, 20077th CircuitDismissed

Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc. v. Employers Insurance

Jan 24, 2007C.D. Ill.Mixed Result

Wilson Ex Rel. Adams v. Cahokia School District 187

Jan 19, 2007S.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Davidson

Jan 18, 2007S.D. Ind.Mixed Result

IFC Credit Corp. v. United Business & Industrial Federal Credit Union

Dec 11, 2006N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Schneider National Carriers, Incorporated v. National Employee Care Systems, Incorporated, and Carmelo Menist

Nov 27, 20067th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Schneider Nat'l Carr v. Nat'l Employee Care

Nov 27, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Advocate South Suburban Hospital v. National Labor Relations Board

Nov 21, 20067th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Regal-Beloit Corp.

Nov 21, 2006W.D. Wis.Defendant Win

Advocate South Suburban Hospital v. National Labor Relations Board

Nov 21, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Employers Ins. Co. of Wausau v. THE MARLEY CO.

Nov 17, 2006W.D. Wis.Defendant Win

Northcutt v. General Motors Hourly-Rate Employees Pension Plan

Nov 2, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Architectural & Ornamental Iron Workers Local Union No. 63 v. International Union of Elevator Constructors, Local Union 2

Nov 2, 2006N.D. Ill.Mixed Result

Belour

Nov 1, 2006N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

In Re UAL Corporation (Pilots' Pension Plan Termination)

Oct 25, 20067th CircuitMixed Result

In Re Zehrung

Oct 16, 2006W.D. Wis.Mixed Result

Hurt

Sep 27, 2006INNDDefendant Win

Gregory M. Shepard and American Union Insurance Company v. State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company and State Auto Financial Corporation

Sep 14, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Employers Ins. Co. of Wausau v. EQUITAS HOLDINGS

Sep 12, 2006W.D. Wis.Defendant Win

Employers Insurance v. Equitas Holdings Ltd.

Sep 12, 2006W.D. Wis.Defendant Win

Laborers' Pension Fund v. Lay-Com, Inc.

Sep 8, 2006N.D. Ill.Mixed Result

Hollowell v. Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers Local Union 280

Aug 25, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Target Corporation

Aug 23, 20067th CircuitRemanded

EEOC v. Target Corporation

Aug 23, 20067th CircuitRemanded

National Labor Relations Board v. Mickey's Linen and Towel Supply, Inc., D/B/A Domestic Linen and Uniform

Aug 16, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

NLRB v. Mickey's Linen & Tow

Aug 16, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc. v. Employers Insurance Company Of Wausau

Aug 8, 20067th CircuitRemanded

Keystone Consolidated Industries, Inc. v. Employers Insurance

Aug 3, 20067th CircuitRemanded

Schor, Gary v. Abbott Laboratories

Jul 31, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Schor, Gary v. Abbott Laboratories

Jul 26, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Employers Mutual Casualty Company and Hamilton Mutual Insurance Company v. John Skoutaris, D/B/A Open Flame Restaurant

Jul 13, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Employers Mutual v. John Skoutaris

Jul 13, 20067th CircuitDefendant Win

Elsie P. Randolph v. Indiana Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights, Millwright Local Union 1003

Jun 28, 20067th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Browse Other Circuits

Explore employment rulings from the other federal circuits.

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These figures summarize publicly available published court opinions only. Published opinions over-represent summary-judgment rulings (decisions made without a trial) and appeals, because those are the stages where judges most often write formal opinions. Most workplace disputes settle privately and never appear here at all. A ruling’s outcome reflects many case-specific factors and is not a prediction for any other situation. Read more about how we source and classify rulings.

Data sourced from public federal court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes extracted using AI analysis. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The classification of outcomes and case stages is based on automated analysis and may not reflect the full scope of each case.