Even before taking the reins of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this weekend, Chief Judge Diane S. Sykes helped lay the groundwork to confront the COVID-19 pandemic. Sykes led the committee that developed the 7th Circuit’s policy on recording oral arguments.The appeals court in May 2018 adopted a rule allowing arguments to be videotaped at the request of a party and with the permission of the panel hearing the case.Videotapes of arguments are posted on the court’s website by order of the panel. Sykes became the 7th …