The Seventh Circuit As An Outlier | The Keleher Appellate Law Group, LLC

As noted in my last post, the Seventh Circuit recently issued its annual report for 2022. Along with the number of appellate filings for 2022, the annual report also details a slew of stats on other matters, including comparisons between the Seventh Circuit and the other federal appellate circuit courts. Two merit mention here. First, the percentage of cases in which the federal appellate circuits hear oral argument. Across the federal appellate circuits, the national average is 21%. In contrast, the Seventh Circuit has one of the highest percentage of cases in which oral arguments are heard at 35%. Second, the reversal rate. The national average of the federal appellate circuits is 8.3% of appeals reversed. The Seventh Circuit clocks in at 11.3%, the second highest in country. These two statistics should provide some optimism for Appellants in the Seventh Circuit as federal appellate lawyers on the Appellant’s side always have an uphill fight.

About the Author

Christopher Keleher clerked for the Hon. William J. Bauer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. This unique opportunity provided Mr. Keleher with an invaluable understanding of the inner workings of an appellate court. He saw what persuades judges and what does not, and utilizes this knowledge every time he writes an appellate brief. The Keleher Appellate Law Group handles all phases of appellate litigation in federal and state courts across the country. Read more here.