Appellate Division

The Appellate Division represents the United States on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit - based in Chicago, Illinois - which has jurisdiction over federal appeals from Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. The Appellate Division oversees all appeals from the office’s criminal prosecutions and civil cases.  The Appellate Division also handles various categories of postconviction litigation in the district courts in Indianapolis and Evansville.

AUSAs in the Appellate Division write briefs and present oral arguments on a variety of issues, ranging from common sentencing, trial, and summary judgment issues to complex and novel issues involving the constitution, statutory construction, and the rules of civil and criminal procedure. The office’s appeals arise from diverse crimes, such as health care fraud, other complex fraud, organized drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, alien smuggling and other immigration offenses, violent crimes, civil rights violations, child exploitation, sex trafficking, public corruption and acts of terrorism.  The district’s appeals also entail a variety of civil subject matters.  In addition to defending convictions and civil judgments from appellate challenges by criminal defendants and civil plaintiffs, the Appellate Division also brings affirmative appeals to the Seventh Circuit from adverse district court decisions after consultation with the Solicitor General’s Office and the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.

The Appellate Division Chief supervises the attorneys and staff assigned to the Appellate Division and is responsible for case/task assignments.  The Appellate Chief also supervises any criminal or civil AUSAs when they take on the work of an appeal or postconviction litigation.  The Appellate Division is responsible for all appeals and post-conviction matters in the District, as well as legal issues support for all attorneys in the District.  The Appellate Division Chief also serves as counsel for the U.S. Attorney and First Assistant U.S. Attorney concerning legal developments and initiatives, as well as Department of Justice policies.

For current docket information of cases before the Seventh Circuit, please visit https://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/