All local rules for N.D. Ill., integrated with this judge's published requirements.
Important Information Attorneys are required to appear at status and motion hearings as scheduled. If an attorney has a conflict on the assigned date, the attorney must notify Chambers of the conflict and, if appropriate, the Court will reschedule. Advising opposing counsel of a conflict is not a substitute for communicating with the Court. Attorneys who fail to appear and fail to notify Chambers of any conflict may be subject to sanctions. Parties who appear in court on a matter, whether set for a status or motion hearing, must be prepared to argue any motions pending in the case. Judge Blakey hears civil motions on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. All civil motions must be noticed for presentment. All hearings shall proceed in person unless otherwise ordered. Parties seeking leave to appear via telephone shall email Judge Blakey's Courtroom Deputy, Emily Wirtz, at Emily_Wirtz@ilnd.uscourts.gov. Attorneys granted leave to appear by telephone should refrain from using speakerphones, appearing while driving, or appearing from a location with significant ambient noise. For questions or additional assistance, please email Emily_Wirtz@ilnd.uscourts.gov or call (312) 818-6699. Calendar Schedule Judge John Robert Blakey --> Procedures to be followed in cases assigned to Judge John Robert Blakey Bankruptcy Appeals Judge Blakey will set a briefing schedule on all bankruptcy appeals. Briefs are limited to 15 pages each. Change of Plea Hearings Parties wishing to set a change of plea are advised as follows: (1) the Court requires the parties to provide a copy of the draft plea agreement (or plea declaration) to chambers (in hardcopy or via the Court's proposed order inbox, proposed_order_blakey@ilnd.uscourts.gov ) at least one week prior to the change of plea hearing; and (2) if the matter involves an offense triggering a remand to custody under 18 U.S.C. § 3143 upon acceptance of the plea, the Defendant, if released on bond, must come to the hearing prepared to go into the custody of the United States Marshal. If the parties intend otherwise, or if either side plans to file a motion on the issue, the parties must so advise the Court at least three days prior to the change of plea hearing by calling the Courtroom Deputy. If the Defendant is subject to remand as described, the Government shall also advise the United States Marshal at least three days prior to the change of plea hearing. Confidentiality Orders Parties who request entry of an order to preserve the confidentiality of material disclosed in discovery shall do so by motion. Counsel must attach the proposed order to the motion as an exhibit and base the proposed order on the Model Confidentiality Order contained in the Local Rules. Counsel should add the bracketed language to or delete it from the Model Confidentiality Order as appropriate for a specific case.
Neither a motion nor brief in support of or in opposition to any motion nor objections to a report and recommendation or order of a magistrate judge or special master, shall exceed 15 pages without prior approval of the court. Local Rule 7.1 ↗
Neither a motion nor brief in support of or in opposition to any motion nor objections to a report and recommendation or order of a magistrate judge or special master, shall exceed 15 pages without prior approval of the court. Local Rule 7.1 ↗
Neither a motion nor brief in support of or in opposition to any motion nor objections to a report and recommendation or order of a magistrate judge or special master, shall exceed 15 pages without prior approval of the court. Local Rule 7.1 ↗
(b) A judge may require a motion or an objection to a magistrate judge’s order to be accompanied by a notice of presentment specifying the date and time on which, and judge before whom, the motion or objection is to be presented. The date of presentment shall be not more than 14 days following the date on which the motion or objection is delivered to the court pursuant to LR 78.1. Local Rule 5.3(b) ↗
Except where a judge fixes a different time in accordance with this rule, the original of any motion shall be filed by 4:30 p.m. of the second business day preceding the date of presentment. A judge may fix a time for delivery longer than that provided by this rule, or elect to hear motions less frequently than daily, or both. Local Rule 78.1 ↗
The court may set a briefing schedule. Oral argument may be allowed in the court’s discretion. Local Rule 78.3 ↗
Any judge wishing to refer a matter in a civil case pending on that judge’s calendar to a magistrate judge may do so following procedures approved by the Executive Committee. Local Rule 72.1 ↗
Motion Calls - Criminal and Civil Before filing any motion, the movant must meet and confer with the non-movant on the substance of the motion and determine whether the motion is opposed. Movant shall include a statement in the motion indicating whether the motion is opposed by the non-movant (and, if appropriate in a criminal case, by pretrial services or probation). Criminal Motions: Criminal motions must be noticed (or scheduled for hearing) by agreement in consultation with Judge Blakey's Courtroom Deputy, Emily Wirtz, available at Emily_Wirtz@ilnd.uscourts.gov or (312) 818-6699. Civil Motions: Consistent with L.R. 5.3, every motion must be accompanied by a notice of presentment specifying the date and time on which it is to be presented. The date of presentment shall be not more than 14 days following the date on which the motion is delivered to the court pursuant to LR 78.1. Judge Blakey will hear civil (non-emergency) motions on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., and all such motions should be noticed accordingly. Motions noticed for a given day must be filed no later than 12:00 p.m. on the 3rd business day preceding the day the motion is to be heard. Thus, motions set for any given Wednesday must be filed by 12:00 p.m. on the preceding Friday. Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions should be so identified in the title and the body of the motion. In most cases, this Court will strike the notice date and rule (or set a briefing schedule) without a hearing, but if a hearing proceeds for the noticed date (either in-person or remotely), all counsel must be prepared to argue all pending motions in the case at that hearing, and counsel shall not respond to motions by correspondence with this Court. Source ↗
Courtesy Copies Generally, the Court does not require or accept courtesy copies. Courtesy copies are required, however, for: (1) emergency motions; and (2) any filing that has attached to it exhibits totaling 50 or more pages. Courtesy copies should be bound and tabbed as provided in Local Rule 5.2(d) for "judge’s paper copies." Courtesy copies should be delivered to the Courtroom Deputy, Emily Wirtz, in room 1204. They need not be delivered in an envelope unless the pleading contains under-seal material. Courtesy copies should include the printed CM/ECF header at the top of every page. Source ↗
Motion Calls - Criminal and Civil Before filing any motion, the movant must meet and confer with the non-movant on the substance of the motion and determine whether the motion is opposed. Movant shall include a statement in the motion indicating whether the motion is opposed by the non-movant (and, if appropriate in a criminal case, by pretrial services or probation). Criminal Motions: Criminal motions must be noticed (or scheduled for hearing) by agreement in consultation with Judge Blakey's Courtroom Deputy, Emily Wirtz, available at Emily_Wirtz@ilnd.uscourts.gov or (312) 818-6699. Civil Motions: Consistent with L.R. 5.3, every motion must be accompanied by a notice of presentment specifying the date and time on which it is to be presented. The date of presentment shall be not more than 14 days following the date on which the motion is delivered to the court pursuant to LR 78.1. Judge Blakey will hear civil (non-emergency) motions on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., and all such motions should be noticed accordingly. Motions noticed for a given day must be filed no later than 12:00 p.m. on the 3rd business day preceding the day the motion is to be heard. Thus, motions set for any given Wednesday must be filed by 12:00 p.m. on the preceding Friday. Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions should be so identified in the title and the body of the motion. In most cases, this Court will strike the notice date and rule (or set a briefing schedule) without a hearing, but if a hearing proceeds for the noticed date (either in-person or remotely), all counsel must be prepared to argue all pending motions in the case at that hearing, and counsel shall not respond to motions by correspondence with this Court. Source ↗
Motion Calls - Criminal and Civil Before filing any motion, the movant must meet and confer with the non-movant on the substance of the motion and determine whether the motion is opposed. Movant shall include a statement in the motion indicating whether the motion is opposed by the non-movant (and, if appropriate in a criminal case, by pretrial services or probation). Criminal Motions: Criminal motions must be noticed (or scheduled for hearing) by agreement in consultation with Judge Blakey's Courtroom Deputy, Emily Wirtz, available at Emily_Wirtz@ilnd.uscourts.gov or (312) 818-6699. Civil Motions: Consistent with L.R. 5.3, every motion must be accompanied by a notice of presentment specifying the date and time on which it is to be presented. The date of presentment shall be not more than 14 days following the date on which the motion is delivered to the court pursuant to LR 78.1. Judge Blakey will hear civil (non-emergency) motions on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., and all such motions should be noticed accordingly. Motions noticed for a given day must be filed no later than 12:00 p.m. on the 3rd business day preceding the day the motion is to be heard. Thus, motions set for any given Wednesday must be filed by 12:00 p.m. on the preceding Friday. Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions should be so identified in the title and the body of the motion. In most cases, this Court will strike the notice date and rule (or set a briefing schedule) without a hearing, but if a hearing proceeds for the noticed date (either in-person or remotely), all counsel must be prepared to argue all pending motions in the case at that hearing, and counsel shall not respond to motions by correspondence with this Court. Source ↗
Motion Calls - Criminal and Civil Before filing any motion, the movant must meet and confer with the non-movant on the substance of the motion and determine whether the motion is opposed. Movant shall include a statement in the motion indicating whether the motion is opposed by the non-movant (and, if appropriate in a criminal case, by pretrial services or probation). Criminal Motions: Criminal motions must be noticed (or scheduled for hearing) by agreement in consultation with Judge Blakey's Courtroom Deputy, Emily Wirtz, available at Emily_Wirtz@ilnd.uscourts.gov or (312) 818-6699. Civil Motions: Consistent with L.R. 5.3, every motion must be accompanied by a notice of presentment specifying the date and time on which it is to be presented. The date of presentment shall be not more than 14 days following the date on which the motion is delivered to the court pursuant to LR 78.1. Judge Blakey will hear civil (non-emergency) motions on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., and all such motions should be noticed accordingly. Motions noticed for a given day must be filed no later than 12:00 p.m. on the 3rd business day preceding the day the motion is to be heard. Thus, motions set for any given Wednesday must be filed by 12:00 p.m. on the preceding Friday. Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions should be so identified in the title and the body of the motion. In most cases, this Court will strike the notice date and rule (or set a briefing schedule) without a hearing, but if a hearing proceeds for the noticed date (either in-person or remotely), all counsel must be prepared to argue all pending motions in the case at that hearing, and counsel shall not respond to motions by correspondence with this Court. Source ↗
Motion Calls - Criminal and Civil Before filing any motion, the movant must meet and confer with the non-movant on the substance of the motion and determine whether the motion is opposed. Movant shall include a statement in the motion indicating whether the motion is opposed by the non-movant (and, if appropriate in a criminal case, by pretrial services or probation). Criminal Motions: Criminal motions must be noticed (or scheduled for hearing) by agreement in consultation with Judge Blakey's Courtroom Deputy, Emily Wirtz, available at Emily_Wirtz@ilnd.uscourts.gov or (312) 818-6699. Civil Motions: Consistent with L.R. 5.3, every motion must be accompanied by a notice of presentment specifying the date and time on which it is to be presented. The date of presentment shall be not more than 14 days following the date on which the motion is delivered to the court pursuant to LR 78.1. Judge Blakey will hear civil (non-emergency) motions on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., and all such motions should be noticed accordingly. Motions noticed for a given day must be filed no later than 12:00 p.m. on the 3rd business day preceding the day the motion is to be heard. Thus, motions set for any given Wednesday must be filed by 12:00 p.m. on the preceding Friday. Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions should be so identified in the title and the body of the motion. In most cases, this Court will strike the notice date and rule (or set a briefing schedule) without a hearing, but if a hearing proceeds for the noticed date (either in-person or remotely), all counsel must be prepared to argue all pending motions in the case at that hearing, and counsel shall not respond to motions by correspondence with this Court. Source ↗