description Frank H. Easterbrook Overview
Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit since 1985, known as a leading proponent of law and economics and strict textualism in statutory interpretation.
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Frank H. Easterbrook ranks #40 of 270 in the Judge ranking, behind William Gummow, ahead of Lord Mance.
Highly influential textualist and law-and-economics judge; respected for rigor, criticized for ideological rigidity.
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Who appointed Frank H. Easterbrook to the Seventh Circuit?
President Ronald Reagan nominated Easterbrook to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He was confirmed in 1985 after having worked as a University of Chicago law professor and in the Office of the Solicitor General.
What does textualism mean in Easterbrook's judicial opinions?
Easterbrook generally emphasizes the enacted words of a statute rather than trying to reconstruct a legislature's collective intent. His approach is closely associated with the textualist movement also identified with Justice Antonin Scalia.
Why is Easterbrook important to the law-and-economics movement?
His opinions and academic writing frequently use economic reasoning to examine incentives, markets, and legal rules. That approach reflects his long association with the University of Chicago, a major center of law-and-economics scholarship.
Which states are covered by the Seventh Circuit?
The Seventh Circuit hears federal appeals from Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Its court of appeals is based in Chicago, where Easterbrook also taught at the University of Chicago Law School.
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