All local rules for N.D. Ill., integrated with this judge's published requirements.
Unless directed by the Court and with the exception of courtesy copies, neither counsel nor pro se litigants may communicate about a case by letter . All communications must be made in the form of a motion, brief, or a status report, properly noticed and served on opposing counsel.
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 ↗
Discovery Motions and E-Discovery Discovery Motions The Court believes that parties can and should work out most discovery disputes, and thus discourages the filing of discovery motions. The Court will not hear or consider any discovery motions unless the parties have complied with the meet and confer requirement under Local Rule 37.2 . Any discovery motion must state with specificity when and how the movant complied with Local Rule 37.2 . Parties are reminded that compliance with Local Rule 37.2 requires a good faith effort to resolve discovery disputes and, other than in exceptional circumstances, communication that takes place face to face or by telephone. The mere exchange of correspondence will not normally be sufficient to comply with Local Rule 37.2 . If the parties do not resolve their disagreements through this procedure, the parties must file a joint motion of no more than five pages. The joint motion must set out each issue in a separate section and include in that section each party’s position (with appropriate legal authority) and proposed compromise. (This process allows a side-by-side analysis of each disputed issue.) If the disagreement concerns specific discovery that a party has propounded, such as interrogatories, requests for production of documents, or answers or objections to such discovery, the parties must reproduce the question/request and the response in its entirety in that section. The entire disputed discovery responses should be attached as an exhibit to the motion. All parties must be fully prepared to orally argue any discovery motion on the date that it is presented. The Court most often will decide discovery motions after oral argument at the motion call and without additional briefing. If after argument the Court believes that the motion requires further briefing, the Court normally will set an expedited briefing schedule so that the matter can be resolved promptly. The Court reminds the parties that there is no "order" or sequence in which discovery must take place; thus, one party’s alleged failure or inability to respond to discovery will not excuse any other party’s prompt compliance with discovery requests. The Court also reminds parties that the pendency of a motion, such as a motion to dismiss, does not – absent court order – operate as a stay of discovery. E-Discovery If the parties have reached an impasse regarding the discovery of voluminous records from a database, server, computer, service provider or similar electronic storage facility (ESF), before filing a motion to compel, the parties are required to meet and confer with an IT representative of the ESF to be searched in order to determine the most effective way to retrieve the requested material. The party seeking the discovery should also bring its IT specialist to this meeting in order to discuss the proper format for the retrieval of the records. This electronic discovery conference must take place in person and both sides should be prepared to discuss specifically the parameters of both the search and the ESF. For more information regarding the Voluntary E-Mediation Program, please refer to: http://www.discoverypilot.com/content/e-mediation-program .
Motion Practice Schedule Civil status hearings are held on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Civil motions will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. and Thursday at 1:45 p.m. Criminal motions will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday at 1:45 p.m. All motions must be filed no later than the third business day (excluding federal holidays and weekends) before the day the motion is to be heard. For example, absent a holiday, (1) a motion filed on a Monday may be noticed for the upcoming Thursday; and (2) a motion filed on a Thursday may be noticed for the following Tuesday. Motions must be noticed for a date certain. Judge Ellis’ main web page lists any dates on which she will not be available to hear motions. After 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon prior to the hearing date, counsel should check the call sheet posted on Judge Ellis' web page to determine whether an appearance is necessary. If an appearance is not required, counsel for the movant is directed to notify the respondent(s) accordingly. Electronic filing The Court strongly encourages counsel to convert any word-processed document into a pdf document by printing or publishing to pdf, rather than manually scanning a paper copy into .pdf. The former method of conversion generates searchable optical character recognition (OCR) text; the latter does not. Extensions of Time A party seeking an extension of time must contact all other parties in the case to determine whether they object to the extension. Any motion for extension of time should indicate whether it is the first or subsequent extension request and shall include the reasons for the request, any previous relief granted, and whether any other party objects to the extension. Please do not call chambers or the Courtroom Deputy to request an extension of time. Unopposed Motions Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions must be so identified in the title and body of the motion. Unless the Court has told a party it need not appear, counsel for all parties to which the motion is directed are expected to be present whether or not the motion is opposed. After 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon prior to the hearing date, counsel should check the call sheet posted on Judge Ellis' web page to determine whether an appearance is necessary. If an appearance is not required, counsel for the movant is directed to notify the respondent(s) accordingly. Emergency Motions Requests to set a hearing on an emergency motion must be made to the Courtroom Deputy with as much advance notice as possible. All reasonable efforts must be made to give actual notice to opposing counsel. Emergency motions must recite that the movant has made good faith efforts to resolve the emergency with opposing counsel or that despite good faith efforts the movant has been unable to resolve it and that the issue is of such a nature that a delay in hearing it would cause serious harm to a party in interest. Meet and Confer Requirement The discovery meet and confer requirement can have the same salutary effect on other disputes that it has in connection with discovery disputes. A candid discussion between the parties prior to filing motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, motions in limine and the like can limit the scope of such motions or eliminate the need for them to be filed at all. Thus, the Court will apply the meet and confer requirement not just to discovery motions, but to all motions that a party wishes to file. The instructions concerning what must be done to comply with the discovery meet and confer requirement will be applied with equal force to all other motions. In particular, with respect to any motions for summary judgment, the Court requires the moving party to advise the opposing party in a short letter (e.g., 2-3 pages) of the basis for the motion (including relevant legal authority). Do not file the letter with the Court. The Court requires the moving party and the opposing party to meet and confer, during which time the opposing party should advise the moving party of factual matter or legal authority that it believes would defeat the motion. After this consultation, if the movant still wishes to file the motion, the movant should do so and the Court will address it. Any motion must state with specificity what the parties did to comply with the meet and confer requirement. Memoranda of Law Memoranda of law must comply with Local Rules 5.2 and 7.1. Please only attach copies of any cited authorities that are not available on Westlaw or Lexis. Supplemental Authority Parties wishing to file supplemental authority should file a motion seeking leave to do so. Source ↗
Courtesy Copies Courtesy copies are required for: all filings that total 50 pages or more including exhibits; pretrial orders (and the attendant evidentiary motions and jury instructions if separately filed); and all filings that include any attachments or exhibits that are not readable in their electronic format. Unless Judge Ellis orders otherwise, courtesy copies are not required for any filings that do not meet this description, including pleadings. When a courtesy copy is required, it should be delivered to the Courtroom Deputy, not to chambers, within 24 hours of the filing. The Court prefers courtesy copies to be double-sided and printed after a pleading is filed, with the CM/ECF header stamp on the document. Filings with exhibits should include tabs. Voluminous submissions should be bound for ease of use. Source ↗
Initial Status Reports The Court will promptly schedule an initial status hearing for newly-filed cases. In most cases, the initial status hearing will be conducted within approximately 60 days of the filing of the complaint. At least seven days prior to the initial status hearing, the parties must file a joint Initial Status Report, not to exceed five pages in length, in the format of the template at the link below. Source ↗
Motion Practice Schedule Civil status hearings are held on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Civil motions will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. and Thursday at 1:45 p.m. Criminal motions will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday at 1:45 p.m. All motions must be filed no later than the third business day (excluding federal holidays and weekends) before the day the motion is to be heard. For example, absent a holiday, (1) a motion filed on a Monday may be noticed for the upcoming Thursday; and (2) a motion filed on a Thursday may be noticed for the following Tuesday. Motions must be noticed for a date certain. Judge Ellis’ main web page lists any dates on which she will not be available to hear motions. After 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon prior to the hearing date, counsel should check the call sheet posted on Judge Ellis' web page to determine whether an appearance is necessary. If an appearance is not required, counsel for the movant is directed to notify the respondent(s) accordingly. Electronic filing The Court strongly encourages counsel to convert any word-processed document into a pdf document by printing or publishing to pdf, rather than manually scanning a paper copy into .pdf. The former method of conversion generates searchable optical character recognition (OCR) text; the latter does not. Extensions of Time A party seeking an extension of time must contact all other parties in the case to determine whether they object to the extension. Any motion for extension of time should indicate whether it is the first or subsequent extension request and shall include the reasons for the request, any previous relief granted, and whether any other party objects to the extension. Please do not call chambers or the Courtroom Deputy to request an extension of time. Unopposed Motions Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions must be so identified in the title and body of the motion. Unless the Court has told a party it need not appear, counsel for all parties to which the motion is directed are expected to be present whether or not the motion is opposed. After 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon prior to the hearing date, counsel should check the call sheet posted on Judge Ellis' web page to determine whether an appearance is necessary. If an appearance is not required, counsel for the movant is directed to notify the respondent(s) accordingly. Emergency Motions Requests to set a hearing on an emergency motion must be made to the Courtroom Deputy with as much advance notice as possible. All reasonable efforts must be made to give actual notice to opposing counsel. Emergency motions must recite that the movant has made good faith efforts to resolve the emergency with opposing counsel or that despite good faith efforts the movant has been unable to resolve it and that the issue is of such a nature that a delay in hearing it would cause serious harm to a party in interest. Meet and Confer Requirement The discovery meet and confer requirement can have the same salutary effect on other disputes that it has in connection with discovery disputes. A candid discussion between the parties prior to filing motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, motions in limine and the like can limit the scope of such motions or eliminate the need for them to be filed at all. Thus, the Court will apply the meet and confer requirement not just to discovery motions, but to all motions that a party wishes to file. The instructions concerning what must be done to comply with the discovery meet and confer requirement will be applied with equal force to all other motions. In particular, with respect to any motions for summary judgment, the Court requires the moving party to advise the opposing party in a short letter (e.g., 2-3 pages) of the basis for the motion (including relevant legal authority). Do not file the letter with the Court. The Court requires the moving party and the opposing party to meet and confer, during which time the opposing party should advise the moving party of factual matter or legal authority that it believes would defeat the motion. After this consultation, if the movant still wishes to file the motion, the movant should do so and the Court will address it. Any motion must state with specificity what the parties did to comply with the meet and confer requirement. Memoranda of Law Memoranda of law must comply with Local Rules 5.2 and 7.1. Please only attach copies of any cited authorities that are not available on Westlaw or Lexis. Supplemental Authority Parties wishing to file supplemental authority should file a motion seeking leave to do so. Source ↗
Motion Practice Schedule Civil status hearings are held on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Civil motions will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. and Thursday at 1:45 p.m. Criminal motions will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday at 1:45 p.m. All motions must be filed no later than the third business day (excluding federal holidays and weekends) before the day the motion is to be heard. For example, absent a holiday, (1) a motion filed on a Monday may be noticed for the upcoming Thursday; and (2) a motion filed on a Thursday may be noticed for the following Tuesday. Motions must be noticed for a date certain. Judge Ellis’ main web page lists any dates on which she will not be available to hear motions. After 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon prior to the hearing date, counsel should check the call sheet posted on Judge Ellis' web page to determine whether an appearance is necessary. If an appearance is not required, counsel for the movant is directed to notify the respondent(s) accordingly. Electronic filing The Court strongly encourages counsel to convert any word-processed document into a pdf document by printing or publishing to pdf, rather than manually scanning a paper copy into .pdf. The former method of conversion generates searchable optical character recognition (OCR) text; the latter does not. Extensions of Time A party seeking an extension of time must contact all other parties in the case to determine whether they object to the extension. Any motion for extension of time should indicate whether it is the first or subsequent extension request and shall include the reasons for the request, any previous relief granted, and whether any other party objects to the extension. Please do not call chambers or the Courtroom Deputy to request an extension of time. Unopposed Motions Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions must be so identified in the title and body of the motion. Unless the Court has told a party it need not appear, counsel for all parties to which the motion is directed are expected to be present whether or not the motion is opposed. After 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon prior to the hearing date, counsel should check the call sheet posted on Judge Ellis' web page to determine whether an appearance is necessary. If an appearance is not required, counsel for the movant is directed to notify the respondent(s) accordingly. Emergency Motions Requests to set a hearing on an emergency motion must be made to the Courtroom Deputy with as much advance notice as possible. All reasonable efforts must be made to give actual notice to opposing counsel. Emergency motions must recite that the movant has made good faith efforts to resolve the emergency with opposing counsel or that despite good faith efforts the movant has been unable to resolve it and that the issue is of such a nature that a delay in hearing it would cause serious harm to a party in interest. Meet and Confer Requirement The discovery meet and confer requirement can have the same salutary effect on other disputes that it has in connection with discovery disputes. A candid discussion between the parties prior to filing motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, motions in limine and the like can limit the scope of such motions or eliminate the need for them to be filed at all. Thus, the Court will apply the meet and confer requirement not just to discovery motions, but to all motions that a party wishes to file. The instructions concerning what must be done to comply with the discovery meet and confer requirement will be applied with equal force to all other motions. In particular, with respect to any motions for summary judgment, the Court requires the moving party to advise the opposing party in a short letter (e.g., 2-3 pages) of the basis for the motion (including relevant legal authority). Do not file the letter with the Court. The Court requires the moving party and the opposing party to meet and confer, during which time the opposing party should advise the moving party of factual matter or legal authority that it believes would defeat the motion. After this consultation, if the movant still wishes to file the motion, the movant should do so and the Court will address it. Any motion must state with specificity what the parties did to comply with the meet and confer requirement. Memoranda of Law Memoranda of law must comply with Local Rules 5.2 and 7.1. Please only attach copies of any cited authorities that are not available on Westlaw or Lexis. Supplemental Authority Parties wishing to file supplemental authority should file a motion seeking leave to do so. Source ↗
Motion Practice Schedule Civil status hearings are held on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. Civil motions will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. and Thursday at 1:45 p.m. Criminal motions will be heard Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday at 1:45 p.m. All motions must be filed no later than the third business day (excluding federal holidays and weekends) before the day the motion is to be heard. For example, absent a holiday, (1) a motion filed on a Monday may be noticed for the upcoming Thursday; and (2) a motion filed on a Thursday may be noticed for the following Tuesday. Motions must be noticed for a date certain. Judge Ellis’ main web page lists any dates on which she will not be available to hear motions. After 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon prior to the hearing date, counsel should check the call sheet posted on Judge Ellis' web page to determine whether an appearance is necessary. If an appearance is not required, counsel for the movant is directed to notify the respondent(s) accordingly. Electronic filing The Court strongly encourages counsel to convert any word-processed document into a pdf document by printing or publishing to pdf, rather than manually scanning a paper copy into .pdf. The former method of conversion generates searchable optical character recognition (OCR) text; the latter does not. Extensions of Time A party seeking an extension of time must contact all other parties in the case to determine whether they object to the extension. Any motion for extension of time should indicate whether it is the first or subsequent extension request and shall include the reasons for the request, any previous relief granted, and whether any other party objects to the extension. Please do not call chambers or the Courtroom Deputy to request an extension of time. Unopposed Motions Joint, uncontested, and agreed motions must be so identified in the title and body of the motion. Unless the Court has told a party it need not appear, counsel for all parties to which the motion is directed are expected to be present whether or not the motion is opposed. After 4:00 p.m. on the afternoon prior to the hearing date, counsel should check the call sheet posted on Judge Ellis' web page to determine whether an appearance is necessary. If an appearance is not required, counsel for the movant is directed to notify the respondent(s) accordingly. Emergency Motions Requests to set a hearing on an emergency motion must be made to the Courtroom Deputy with as much advance notice as possible. All reasonable efforts must be made to give actual notice to opposing counsel. Emergency motions must recite that the movant has made good faith efforts to resolve the emergency with opposing counsel or that despite good faith efforts the movant has been unable to resolve it and that the issue is of such a nature that a delay in hearing it would cause serious harm to a party in interest. Meet and Confer Requirement The discovery meet and confer requirement can have the same salutary effect on other disputes that it has in connection with discovery disputes. A candid discussion between the parties prior to filing motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, motions in limine and the like can limit the scope of such motions or eliminate the need for them to be filed at all. Thus, the Court will apply the meet and confer requirement not just to discovery motions, but to all motions that a party wishes to file. The instructions concerning what must be done to comply with the discovery meet and confer requirement will be applied with equal force to all other motions. In particular, with respect to any motions for summary judgment, the Court requires the moving party to advise the opposing party in a short letter (e.g., 2-3 pages) of the basis for the motion (including relevant legal authority). Do not file the letter with the Court. The Court requires the moving party and the opposing party to meet and confer, during which time the opposing party should advise the moving party of factual matter or legal authority that it believes would defeat the motion. After this consultation, if the movant still wishes to file the motion, the movant should do so and the Court will address it. Any motion must state with specificity what the parties did to comply with the meet and confer requirement. Memoranda of Law Memoranda of law must comply with Local Rules 5.2 and 7.1. Please only attach copies of any cited authorities that are not available on Westlaw or Lexis. Supplemental Authority Parties wishing to file supplemental authority should file a motion seeking leave to do so. Source ↗