Samuel Alschuler

Samuel Alschuler (November 20, 1859 – November 9, 1939) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Early life
Samuel Alschuler was born November 20, 1859 Chicago, Illinois. A member of a civically-engaged family German-Jewish family, his brother George also served in the Illinois House of Representatives and another brother, Benjamin, was a judge of the Illinois Court of Claims. Alschuler was raised in Aurora, Illinois. After graduating from Aurora High School, Alschuler spent some time as a general store clerk, he read law and was admitted to the Illinois Bar.

Legal and political career
He was in private practice in Aurora, in partnership with J. C. Murphy, a former US Attorney for the District of Dakota Territory, under the firm name of Alschuler & Murphy. In the 1892 United States House of Representatives elections, Alschuler was the Democratic nominee for Illinois's 5th congressional district, then a staunchly Republican district anchored by Kane County. Unsuccessful in the 1892 election, on July 15, 1893, Governor John Peter Altgeld appointed him a member of the State Commission of Claims. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1896 general election. In his first term, Alschuler served in a role analogous to a floor leader. In his second term, he was the chairman of the Democratic Steering Committee. In 1900 Illinois gubernatorial election, Alschuler was the Democratic nominee against Republican candidate Richard Yates Jr.. Yates defeated Alschuler by a narrow 5.43% margin. Shortly after the gubernatorial election, he was the Democratic nominee for appointment by the Illinois General Assembly to the United States Senate, but on January 22, 1901, the Republican-majority elected Republican incumbent Shelby Moore Cullom for another six-year term. He continued in private practice in Chicago until 1915.

Federal judicial service
Alschuler received a recess appointment from President Woodrow Wilson on August 16, 1915, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated by Judge Peter S. Grosscup. He was nominated to the same position by President Wilson on January 7, 1916. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 18, 1916, and received his commission the same day. He was a member of the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges (now the Judicial Conference of the United States) from 1924 to 1934. He assumed senior status on May 15, 1936. His service terminated on November 9, 1939, due to his death.

Other service
Alschuler was appointed to arbitrate between meatpacking unions in Chicago and employers after the President's Mediation Commission intervened in November 1917. From 1922 to 1923, Alschuler served on the new Federal Coal Commission.