“Behind the Scenes” of Organizing a Visit by an Appellate Court (Seventh Circuit Day, Part 5)

Seventh Circuit 5
A glimpse into Dean Fodor’s email inbox.

What we hope you saw: An exciting early-semester announcement that oral arguments before the Seventh Circuit would take place in Eckstein Hall on September 25; a smooth registration process; and on the day of, insightful lines of questioning during argument and various post-argument programs designed for students and attorneys to learn directly from the judges whose decisions fill our casebooks and support our federal filings.

But, in the nearly four months preceding, here is what was happening: Emails, meetings, more meetings, drafts upon drafts, games of phone tag, some mistakes, more emails, brisk walks, smiles, notes, and, at the end of the day, a sigh of happiness and, yes, relief.

It goes without saying that putting together a day like September 25 takes work. This is true for all of our big events at the Law School, from orientation to the National Sports Law Institute’s annual conference to PILSgiving to our annual lectures to the Jenkins Moot Court Competition to graduation. Staff and faculty work together to provide a seamless experience for students and guests. In some cases, it starts with a spreadsheet or a checklist from the previous year. The September 25th Seventh Circuit visit, without recent precedent, started with an email.

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Praise for an Exemplar of the Marquette Lawyer—and of a Judge (Seventh Circuit Day, Part 4)

Seventh Court Part 4
Judge Diane Sykes speaks at a Marquette Law School reception in Eckstein Hall’s Zilber Forum on Sept. 25, 2025.

“Bittersweet.” That was the word Judge Diane Sykes used to describe her final days as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, including the court’s day of hearings and other events at Marquette Law School on September 25, 2025 (aspects of which were described here, here, and here).

“Sweet” was the only aspect of the word on which the 200 or so people at a reception in Eckstein Hall’s Zilber Forum at the end of the day focused. Perhaps there would have been a concluding reception in any event, but Sykes, L’84, is one of the most distinguished graduates of the Law School. She served as a circuit court judge in Milwaukee County, a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and, for 21 years (and counting), a judge of the Seventh Circuit. So the conclusion of her chief judgeship, just a few days later, merited marking, even celebration.

Sykes has kept the Law School close to her heart, taking part in programs and helping students for many years, as recently as August 22, 2025, when she administered the future attorney’s pledge to new first-year students—the Class of 2028. In every role she has had, Sykes has carried herself with intelligence, professionalism, grace, and warmth, which was why the reception honoring her was filled with good feeling.

Continue ReadingPraise for an Exemplar of the Marquette Lawyer—and of a Judge (Seventh Circuit Day, Part 4)

Appellate Judges Give a Window into How They Do Their Work (Seventh Circuit Day, Part 3)

In two noteworthy ways, the term “dialogue” was central to an event involving four judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit at Eckstein Hall on September 25, 2025.

Seventh Circuit
Seventh Circuit Judges Michael Brennan, Diane Sykes, Frank Easterbrook, and Michael Scudder participate in a CLE session at Marquette Law School’s Lubar Center on Sept. 25, 2025.

A daylong visit by Seventh Circuit judges to Marquette Law School had multiple components. It included a morning session in the Law School’s Lubar Center in which the court heard arguments on six cases; a midafternoon program in which the judges discussed their work with an audience of Marquette law students; and an end-of-day reception which included a recognition of the Hon. Diane S. Sykes, L’84, as she completed her term as chief judge of the Seventh Circuit and assumed senior status (the next blog post in this series will say a few words about that event).

Even beyond all of this, the day included a late-afternoon CLE panel discussion program, before about 200 lawyers in the Lubar Center. It was titled “Judges on Judging: A Window into Appellate Decision Making” and moderated by Marquette Law School Professor Chad Oldfather.

That is the first reason to use the term “dialogue.” The relatively informal program offered a chance to hear collegial conversation among Chief Judge Sykes and Judges Frank H. Easterbrook, Michael B. Brennan, and Michael Y. Scudder about how they approach cases that come before them.

Continue ReadingAppellate Judges Give a Window into How They Do Their Work (Seventh Circuit Day, Part 3)
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