The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ chief judge knew she had a tough job ahead of her even before a stalemate in Congress led to the first partial government shutdown in nearly two decades. In an interview last week, Diane P. Wood said one of the most important duties of the chief judge of a federal trial or appellate court is serving on the Judicial Conference of the United States. And one of the most important issues confronting that 26-member policymaking body is the need to keep the courts operating as …