Skip to main content

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

Trade Secrets Beauty Products, Inc. v. Aerial Co.

Aug 3, 1984E.D. Wis.Plaintiff Win

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. DOWD & DOWD, LTD., a Professional Corporation, Defendant-Appellee

Jul 13, 19847th CircuitDefendant Win

Jerry McCOTTRELL, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION, Defendant-Appellee

Jan 30, 19847th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. United Air Lines, Inc.

Dec 14, 1983N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. University of Notre Dame Du Lac

Aug 5, 1982INNDPlaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Suburban Transit System, Inc.

Feb 17, 1982N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Chicago Miniature Lamp Works

Nov 13, 1981N.D. Ill.Mixed Result

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

Nov 7, 1980N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Kable Printing Cl. v. Nlrb

Apr 24, 19807th CircuitDefendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Appleton Electric Co.

Apr 14, 1980N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Bay Shipbuilding Corp.

Dec 19, 1979E.D. Wis.Plaintiff Win

Nlrb v. Easy-Heat Wirekraft

Sep 20, 19797th CircuitDefendant Win

Central Cartage Inc. v. Nlrb

Sep 17, 19797th CircuitDefendant Win

Certified Meats, Inc. v. Nlrb

Jul 13, 19797th CircuitMixed Result

United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. General Electric Co. Medical Systems Division

Apr 17, 1978E.D. Wis.Plaintiff Win

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Motorola, Inc.

Sep 1, 1977N.D. Ill.Mixed Result

Electri-Flex Co. v. National Labor Relations Board

Apr 8, 1976N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

St. Elizabeth's Hospital v. National Labor Relations Board

Feb 17, 1976N.D. Ill.Mixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Rinella & Rinella

Jul 22, 1975N.D. Ill.Plaintiff Win

Illinois St. Emp. Coun. 34, Af of S., C. & Me v. NLRB

May 1, 1975N.D. Ill.Defendant Win

Nlrb v. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Of Bedford, Indiana,inc

Feb 18, 19757th CircuitDefendant Win

Bugley Produce, Inc. v. Nlrb

Jan 20, 19757th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Nlrb v. Lamont's Service, Inc

Jan 20, 19757th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Nlrb v. Fenix & Scisson, Inc

Nov 25, 19747th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Nlrb v. Illinois Concrete Pipe Co

Nov 8, 19747th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Gammon

Oct 24, 19747th CircuitPlaintiff Win

University of Chicago v. Nlrb

Oct 22, 19747th CircuitMixed Result

Nlrb v. Drackett Company

Oct 10, 19747th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Nlrb v. Truckdrivers, Oil Drivers, Filling Station and Platform Workers Union, Local No. 705

Aug 6, 19747th CircuitMixed Result

Nlrb v. New Castle Lumber and Supply Co

Jul 31, 19747th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Surak

Jun 5, 19747th CircuitDefendant Win

Nlrb v. Southwest Janitorial and Maintenance Corporation

Apr 23, 19747th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Howmet Corporation v. Nlrb

Apr 9, 19747th CircuitDefendant Win

Nlrb v. Kerasotes Enterprises

Mar 27, 19747th CircuitDefendant Win

Nlrb v. Grismac Corporation

Mar 25, 19747th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Nlrb v. Local Union No. 841

Mar 15, 19747th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Nlrb v. Riviera Manor Nursing Home, Inc

Nov 16, 19737th CircuitMixed Result

Nlrb v. Ri-Dell Tool Mfg. Co

Oct 11, 19737th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Pearson Bros. Co. v. Nlrb

Oct 2, 19737th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Fox River Pattern v. Nlrb

Aug 27, 19737th CircuitDefendant Win

Nlrb v. Lube Devices, Inc

Jul 19, 19737th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Richards Co. v. Nlrb

Jul 17, 19737th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Nlrb v. Laborers International Union

Jul 6, 19737th CircuitPlaintiff Win

Browse Other Circuits

Explore employment rulings from the other federal circuits.

Facing something similar at work?Check your rights — free, private, no sign-up

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.