About Robert
Robert Hochman built a legal path that begins in the Midwest and extends through federal courthouses across the country. He completed his undergraduate work at Carleton College in 1993 and earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1997, where he served as Comment Editor for the University of Chicago Law Review. That editorial role marked an early engagement with complex legal writing and critical analysis.
He joined Sidley Austin LLP in the years following law school and became a partner in 1999. His trajectory at the firm reflects long-term involvement in litigation work that often reaches beyond a single courtroom. Colleagues and clients have looked to him on matters that require grounding in federal procedure and appellate practice.
The courts in which he holds admission spell out the shape of his practice. He is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and to many federal circuits, including the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and Federal Circuits. He also maintains admission in the Northern District of Illinois and before the Illinois bar. That broad jurisdictional reach enables him to litigate appeals and federal matters in multiple forums.
Hochman’s law review background still shows in his written advocacy. Appellate practice demands tight briefing, careful record work and persuasive legal writing. He has navigated those demands in filings across different appellate panels and in federal district courts. The variety of venues on his roster suggests regular movement between trial and appellate work.
Within the Illinois legal community, he remains an active member of the Illinois State Bar. That membership aligns him with the state’s professional network while his federal admissions keep him engaged on a national stage. He has spent much of his career at a large firm environment where teams assemble for complex, often multi-jurisdictional disputes.
Outside the court papers, his background points to an attorney comfortable in both the drafting room and the courtroom. The mix of trial-level practice in federal court and argues to appellate courts requires an ability to shift strategies. That balance has defined the way he approaches cases and client counseling.
As of 2026, he continues his practice at Sidley Austin LLP, handling federal and appellate litigation across the jurisdictions to which he is admitted. His current work centers on federal and appellate litigation.
