Without a doubt one of the country’s most respected federal appeals court judges is Richard Posner of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Widely recognized as a genius, Posner has authored numerous books and articles on a wide variety of legal subjects. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Posner clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan in 1962 and later ascended to the 7th Circuit in 1981. He also teaches as a “Senior Lecturer in Law” at the University of Chicago Law School. Bruce Selya is the senior judge on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Known for his distinctive writing style and impressive vocabulary, Selya has been on the 1st Circuit since President Ronald Reagan appointed him in 1986. Like Posner, Selya earned his law degree from Harvard.

Frank Easterbrook, the current chief judge of the 7th Circuit, is another highly respected federal appeals court jurist. Easterbrook used to work in the Solicitor General’s Office in the 1970s where he argued more than 20 cases before the United States Supreme Court. President Reagan nominated him to the 7th Circuit in 1984. Like Posner, Easterbrook teaches at the University of Chicago Law School.

Another star at the federal appellate level is 1st Circuit Judge Sandra L. Lynch of the First Circuit, who made history as the first female judge on the 1st Circuit in 1995. Lynch’s opinions have been cited by many other courts.

• Has there been recent movement in Congress to change the circuit court structure?
• How many judges serve on the circuit courts?
• How do circuit courts of appeal hear cases?
• How does the federal court system created by the Founding Fathers compare and contrast with the current federal court system?
• Who was William Evarts?
• What was the Evarts Act?
• How many federal district courts and federal appeals courts are there?
• Which federal judges lost their jobs because of the Judiciary Act of 1802?
• When did Congress create separate judges for the circuit courts?
• What was circuit duty?
• What part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 gives the Supreme Court the power to review state laws?
• What three additional federal district courts were created within two years of the Judiciary Act of 1789?
• Who were the original federal district court judges in these thirteen districts?
• What type of federal court system did Congress create in the Judiciary Act of 1789?
• Who was the principal author of the Judiciary Act of 1789?
• What is Rule 10 of the Supreme Court?
• When did Congress establish the lower federal courts?
• What types of attorneys argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court?
• What determines when the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case?
• How often does the Supreme Court hear cases?