Judge Evans, an 1899 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School, served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1916 to 1948, and as Senior Circuit Judge from 1934 to 1948. He maintained strong ties to the University of Wisconsin, serving as trustee of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, as president of the Alumni Association, and as a member of the Board of Visitors.
While on the bench, Judge Evans asked for and received a separation of the duties handled by the circuit and district courts, so that the district courts handled all of the trial work while the circuit court dealt only with the growing number of appeals. Judge Evans' request to physically separate the courts resulted in the construction of the U.S. Court of Appeals building at 1212 Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.
The University of Wisconsin Law School Moot Court Board is pleased to honor the career of Evan A. Evans by inviting schools to argue Constitutional issues in the hope of living up to his high standard of appellate advocacy. Judge Evans, noted during his years of private practice for both his brief-writing and his outstanding oral advocacy, left as his legacy a standard of excellence in the field of appellate advocacy which inspired the dedication of this competition.