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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

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Laidlaw Waste, Inc.

Aug 14, 1996N.D. Ill.Dismissed

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. The Chicago Club

Jun 6, 19967th CircuitDefendant Win

Jack A. RUSH, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. MARTIN PETERSEN COMPANY, INC., Defendant-Appellee

May 10, 19967th CircuitDefendant Win

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Catholic Knights Insurance Society

Feb 16, 1996N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Williams Electronics Games, Inc.

Feb 5, 1996N.D. Ill.Settlement

Atchley

Jan 29, 1996INNDDefendant Win

Leland R. Chalmers v. Quaker Oats Company, Quaker Officers' Severance Program, Douglas Ralston

Sep 12, 19957th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Applicant-Appellee v. Quad/graphics, Incorporated

Aug 21, 19957th CircuitDefendant Win

Hendry

Aug 17, 1995INNDMixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Darlene Walters, Intervening v. Metropolitan Educational Enterprises, Incorporated, and Leonard Bieber

Jul 18, 19957th CircuitDefendant Win

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Aic Security Investigations, Ltd.

Jun 28, 19957th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Kathleen DAVIS and David Davis, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. NEPCO EMPLOYEES MUTUAL BENEFIT ASSOCIATION, Defendant-Appellee

Apr 10, 19957th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Ilona of Hungary, Inc.

Apr 7, 1995N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

United States v. Electro-Voice, Inc.

Feb 17, 1995INNDMixed Result

Marschand

Feb 10, 1995INNDDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Francis W. Parker School

Nov 18, 19947th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. G-K-G, Inc.

Nov 4, 19947th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Quad/Graphics, Inc.

Nov 1, 1994E.D. Wis.Plaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. O & G Spring and Wire Forms Specialty Company

Oct 11, 19947th CircuitPlaintiff Win

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Illinois

Jul 25, 1994C.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Jul 7, 1994N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. CONSOLIDATED SERVICE SYSTEMS, Defendant-Appellant

Jun 29, 19947th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Harris Chernin, Inc.

Dec 1, 19937th CircuitMixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Consolidated Service Systems

Dec 1, 1993N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. General Motors Corp.

Jun 8, 1993N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. ALC Security Investigations, Ltd.

Jun 7, 1993N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

Ernest L. Crady v. Liberty National Bank and Trust Company of Indiana, Steve Richards, Branch Administrator, and Jack Ragland, Chief Executive Officer

May 10, 19937th CircuitDefendant Win

In the Matter of Sharon R. Cress, Debtor. Appeal of Employee Benefits Committee and Trustees of the Lilly Employee Savings Plan

Jul 31, 19927th CircuitDismissed

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. City Colleges Of Chicago

Sep 17, 19917th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. City Colleges of Chicago

Sep 16, 19917th CircuitMixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Consolidated Services Systems

Sep 4, 1991N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Warshawsky & Co.

Jul 11, 1991N.D. Ill.Mixed Result

Tabor

May 9, 1991S.D. Ind.Defendant Win

Sedita

Jan 31, 1991N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. First National Bank

Jun 26, 1990N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. O & G Spring & Wire Forms Specialty Co.

Jan 26, 1990N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

American Hospital Ass'n v. National Labor Relations Board

Jul 25, 1989N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Lester (Robert) v. Bowen (Otis R., m.d.)

Jan 4, 19897th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. O & G Spring & Wire Forms Specialty Co.

Dec 14, 1988N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Wellman Thermal Systems Corporation

Dec 1, 19877th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Chicago Miniature Lamp Works

Aug 19, 1987N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Madison Community Unit School District No. 12

Jul 9, 19877th CircuitMixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Elgin Teachers Ass'n

Apr 13, 1987N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. CW Transport, Inc.

Apr 10, 1987W.D. Wis.Mixed Result

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Petitioner-Appellee, v. TEMPEL STEEL COMPANY, Respondent-Appellant

Mar 20, 19877th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Jan 27, 1987N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Community Unit School District No. 9

Aug 22, 1986S.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Sears, Roebuck & Co.

Jul 15, 1986N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Chicago Miniature Lamp Works

Oct 30, 1985N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

National Labor Relations Board v. North American Van Lines, Inc.

Jun 18, 1985INNDDefendant 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.