Nancy Lee Maldonado
How Judge Maldonado rules, drawn from 39 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
About Judge Maldonado
Nancy Lee Maldonado is a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Appointed by President Joseph R. Biden, Judge Maldonado received a commission on July 11, 2024. Judge Maldonado previously served on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, commissioned there on August 10, 2022.
Judge Maldonado's practices and standing orders
The court's website lists no individual practices or standing orders of Judge Maldonado's own (checked October 11, 2026), so the court's local rules and general orders are the place to look (court page ↗).
Standing orders for every case in this court
Orders the court applies to all of its cases, whichever judge has them, as published on the court's website (checked October 11, 2026).
How Judge Maldonado decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
Procedural preferences
In Merchants Bank, Maldonado certified unsettled Indiana-law questions about simultaneous mortgage foreclosure and guaranty actions, and whether guarantors could waive statutory protection. The merits appeal remained stayed pending the Indiana Supreme Court’s answer.
“Whether Indiana public policy permits waiver of the statute’s protections is also uncertain.”
Cautions
In Enloe, Maldonado affirmed dismissal of an outside competitor’s False Claims Act allegations about controlled-substance prescriptions. The relator inferred billing fraud from regulations and settlements without a particularized factual basis for the claimed conduct, and the complaint also lacked materiality allegations.
“... assume unlawful practices on the part of a competitor based on vague regulations and guidance with no particularized factual basis.”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“Accordingly, we VACATE the judgment and REMAND to the district court to review the merits of Lindsey’s § 2254 petition.”
“Martinez-Martinez now challenges the agency's future-persecution finding, arguing that the Honduran government cannot protect her and that internal relocation is unreasonable. Because substantial evidence supports the agency's decision, we deny the petition.”
“As discussed below, we cannot reach Deer District's arguments because it lacks Article III standing to bring this appeal. We therefore dismiss for want of jurisdiction.”
“Accordingly, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.”
“Padua challenged the agency's denial of benefits in federal court, but the district court rejected her petition, holding that the ALJ had substantial evidence to support the decision. We agree with the district court and affirm.”
“we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.”
“The district court applied the wrong standard in reviewing Reilly's Rule 59(e) motion to set aside its judgment dismissing Reilly's complaint. Reilly's proposed amended complaint states a claim, and, on the limited facts before us, we cannot with certainty hold that his claim is time-barred. The final judgment of the district court is therefore VACATED, and the case is REMANDED for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.”
“Deputy Pedersen's decisions to arrest Mr. Petersen for drunk driving and to seek a BAC warrant were well supported by the information available to her and consistent with our Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.”
“Diaz was convicted of two related federal drug-trafficking crimes. In this appeal, he asserts that several constitutional and evidentiary errors in his trial require reversal. Finding none meritorious, we affirm.”
“In 2024, the district court dismissed both operative complaints with prejudice after giving the plaintiffs repeated opportunities to amend. ... We affirm on the district court's alternative ground -- that the plaintiffs failed to state a plausible claim for relief under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6).”
“We AFFIRM the judgment of the district court.”
“On appeal, Carpenter argues that the jury's verdict was not supported by sufficient evidence. He further claims that the trial court erred by instructing the jury that he could be convicted even if he never communicated with a minor but only with the undercover agent. Finding neither argument meritorious, we affirm.”
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