Citation of unpublished courts of appeals opinionsBy Paul E. FreehlingNovember 2002All federal appellate courts permit the citation of unpublished courts of appeals opinions for such purposes as showing res judicata, collateral estoppel, or law of the case.
Federal pretrial motion practice: talk before filingBy Morton DenlowApril 2002Federal practitioners and judges spend a great deal of time with pretrial motions. Because so few cases proceed to trial, lawyers and judges devote more time to pretrial motions than to trial.
Message from the chairBy Michael P. McCuskeyNovember 2002Welcome to the newest section council of the Illinois State Bar Association and thanks for taking the time to read our inaugural newsletter.
Recent 7th circuit decisions of interestBy Joseph G. Bisceglia & Chaka M. PattersonApril 2002In a case of first impression, in Davis v. Ruby Foods, Inc., 269 F.3d 818 (7th Cir. 2001), the Seventh Circuit reversed a district court's dismissal of a pro se Title VII complaint for sexual harassment, holding that even a complaint that contains extensive superfluous matter satisfies the pleading requirements of a short and plain statement as set forth in Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Recent decisions of interest in the Central and Southern DistrictsBy Shari R. RhodeApril 2002In Caraker and Caraker v. Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Coro & Sandoz (96-CV-4113), Judge Gilbert issued an opinion granting defendants' motion to exclude the plaintiff's expert causation testimony after a two-day Daubert hearing.
Recent Seventh Circuit decisions of interestBy Joseph G. Bisceglia & Nada DjordjevicNovember 2002In Southern Illinois Riverboat Casino Cruises, Inc. v. Triangle Insulation and Sheet Metal Co., 302 F.3d 667 (7th Cir. 2002), the owner of a casino vessel sued the seller of a maritime sealant for negligence and breach of express or implied warranty.