Ahrenholz v. Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
219 F.3d 674 (2000)
Relevant factsFree
Ahrenholz (plaintiff) sued the University of Illinois's Board (defendant) for firing him in alleged retaliation for protected speech; the district court denied the Board's summary judgment motion after finding Ahrenholz made out a prima facie case, and then certified the denial for interlocutory appeal under § 1292(b), reasoning mainly that a reversal would end the case immediately.
IssueFree
Whether a district court should certify a decision for interlocutory appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) when the controlling issue to be resolved is not a pure, abstract question of law.