Procedures verified June 28, 2026
Judge Maria Valdez -- United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
1041, Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60604
warning
Key Traps — Where Counsel Gets Caught
- 1. NO civil notice of motion -- after filing, Court sets hearing date and/or briefing schedule. Criminal motions: contact Kerwin Posley for presentment date BEFORE filing notice.
- 2. Remote appearances NOT allowed in status or motion hearings -- in-person required. Request advance permission from Kerwin Posley if extraordinary circumstances exist.
- 3. NO courtesy copies unless specifically requested by Court.
- 4. AI misuse may result in sanctions -- all filings must conform with FRCP 8, 11, and/or 26(g).
- 5. Discovery disputes must be brought to Court before the relevant discovery deadline -- disputes raised after deadline are deemed waived even if parties informally agreed to continue discovery.
- 6. Emergency motion may NOT be filed without prior leave -- contact Kerwin Posley before filing.
- 7. Ex parte contact with chambers prohibited unless impracticable to have all counsel present -- chambers staff may not receive ex parte case communications.
- 8. Service of civil motions must be accomplished no later than 4:00 p.m. the day after a motion is filed.
- 9. All settlement conferences by video (Webex) only.
- 10. LR 56.1 violations may result in briefs being stricken or summary judgment denied -- statements filed separately from memoranda with specific line/paragraph/page citations.
- 11. Each motion in limine must be a separate document AND a separate motion, with authority cited and LR 37.2 conferral statement.
Quick Reference
| Topic | Rule |
|---|---|
| Motion Days | Civil status hearings: Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Civil motion hearings: Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Criminal motions: Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Arraignments: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. NO civil motions may be noticed for presentment -- after a motion is filed, the Court will set a date for a hearing and/or briefing schedule. Criminal motions: prior to filing a notice of motion, movant shall contact Kerwin Posley for a presentment date and time. [Judge Valdez -- Status and Motion Practice (Civil & Criminal)] |
| Motion Limit | 15 pages maximum per Local Rule 7.1. [Judge Valdez -- Status and Motion Practice (Civil & Criminal)] |
| Reply Limit | Not separately specified; follow LR 7.1 default. |
| Chambers Copies | ✗ Not required No courtesy copies shall be delivered unless specifically requested by the Court. [Judge Valdez -- Status and Motion Practice (Civil & Criminal)] |
| Tentative Rulings | Not issued. Court rules on papers. |
| Remote Appearances | Telephonic or remote appearances are NOT allowed in status or motion hearings. Court believes these are substantive matters requiring in-person participation. If extraordinary circumstances exist, a party may contact Courtroom Deputy Kerwin Posley in advance to seek permission to appear by phone. All settlement conferences by video on the Webex platform. [Judge Valdez -- Status and Motion Practice (Civil & Criminal)] |
| Discovery | Discovery disputes resolved by Judge Valdez in referral and consent cases. LR 37.2 required. Court will not hear any discovery motion unless parties have complied with LR 37.2. Motion must state with specificity when and how movant complied with LR 37.2 and briefly summarize substance of parties' discussions. Compliance requires face-to-face or telephone conference -- mere correspondence will not normally be sufficient. Judge Valdez has endorsed The Sedona Conference Cooperation Proclamation (July 2008) for cases where discovery supervision is within the referral order. |
Procedural Briefing by Motion Type
C.D. Cal. · Standing Orders
Procedural Requirements
Key Traps
Compare to Other C.D. Cal. Judges
Procedural facts only. Judges shown to illustrate variance in this district.
mail Subscribe to Judge Valdez procedures email updates
Primary sources. No fluff. Straight to your inbox.
chevron_right
Before You File
Motion Days & Times
Civil status hearings: Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Civil motion hearings: Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Criminal motions: Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Arraignments: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 11:00 a.m. NO civil motions may be noticed for presentment -- after a motion is filed, the Court will set a date for a hearing and/or briefing schedule. Criminal motions: prior to filing a notice of motion, movant shall contact Kerwin Posley for a presentment date and time. [Judge Valdez -- Status and Motion Practice (Civil & Criminal)]
Notice Period
3 days for civil. Criminal: contact Courtroom Deputy for presentment date before filing.
Motion Page / Word Limit
15 pages maximum per Local Rule 7.1. [Judge Valdez -- Status and Motion Practice (Civil & Criminal)]
Opposition Limit
15 pages maximum per Local Rule 7.1.
Reply Limit
Not separately specified; follow LR 7.1 default.
Font & Formatting
Per LR 5.2(e).
Footnote Policy
Not specified.
chevron_right
At Filing
Chambers Copies
✗ Not required
No courtesy copies shall be delivered unless specifically requested by the Court. [Judge Valdez -- Status and Motion Practice (Civil & Criminal)]
Proposed Orders
Email Word format to Proposed_Order_Valdez@ilnd.uscourts.gov. Subject line must include: case number and name, docket number of corresponding motion (if any), and title of proposed order. Clean Word-compatible format required. Must be served on all parties. Submitting a proposed order electronically is not a substitute for filing a motion. May only be submitted after corresponding motion has been filed unless Court has given prior leave. Court will not read or consider any motion or correspondence sent to the Proposed Order Inbox without prior authorization. [Judge Valdez -- Submitting a Proposed Order]
chevron_right
Before the Hearing
Tentative Rulings
Not issued. Court rules on papers.
Prohibition / Ex Parte Contact Re Tentatives
N/A.
Oral Argument
Civil motion hearings: Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Court most often will decide discovery motions after oral argument without briefing.
Remote Appearances
Telephonic or remote appearances are NOT allowed in status or motion hearings. Court believes these are substantive matters requiring in-person participation. If extraordinary circumstances exist, a party may contact Courtroom Deputy Kerwin Posley in advance to seek permission to appear by phone. All settlement conferences by video on the Webex platform. [Judge Valdez -- Status and Motion Practice (Civil & Criminal)]
chevron_right
Background Rules
Chambers Contact
Counsel must never contact Courtroom Deputy or chambers on any matter answerable by reviewing the Court's website and Standing Orders. Messages seeking information available on the website will not be returned. Contact Kerwin Posley at (312) 408-5135 or kerwin_posley@ilnd.uscourts.gov for all court-related matters.
Discovery Referral
Discovery disputes resolved by Judge Valdez in referral and consent cases. LR 37.2 required. Court will not hear any discovery motion unless parties have complied with LR 37.2. Motion must state with specificity when and how movant complied with LR 37.2 and briefly summarize substance of parties' discussions. Compliance requires face-to-face or telephone conference -- mere correspondence will not normally be sufficient. Judge Valdez has endorsed The Sedona Conference Cooperation Proclamation (July 2008) for cases where discovery supervision is within the referral order.
Discovery Dispute Procedure Calendar-first
LR 37.2 required. All parties must be fully prepared to orally argue any discovery motion on scheduled date. Court most often will decide discovery motions after oral argument at the motion call and without briefing. Discovery disputes must be brought to Court's attention before the relevant discovery deadline -- disputes raised after the deadline are deemed waived (even if parties informally agreed to conduct discovery after the deadline without moving for extension). [Judge Valdez -- Motion Requirements]
Ex Parte Applications
Ex parte telephone calls to chambers should never occur unless it is impossible or impracticable to have all counsel on the call. It is never appropriate to email chambers staff without prior permission of Court. Should an extraordinary circumstance require a telephone call to chambers, counsel for all parties should be on the call. Anything counsel should not say ex parte directly to the judge cannot be said to her chambers staff.
Settlement Notification
All settlement conferences will be held by video on the Webex platform. All parties must read and comply with the Court's Instructions for Settlement Conference and any communications from chambers personnel. [Judge Valdez -- Settlement Conferences]
Lead Counsel
Not specified.
Under Seal Filings
No document may be filed under seal without prior order of Court specifying particular document. Review FRCP 26(c), LR 5.7, 5.8, 26.2, and Seventh Circuit decisions in Jepson, Citizens First Nat'l Bank, and Union Oil before seeking protective order or filing under seal. Court will not enter protective order that does not comply with Seventh Circuit requirements. Motion to File Under Seal must demonstrate good cause with specific description of document(s) to be sealed and explanation of why confidentiality is necessary.
Continuances & Calendar Conflicts
Joint motions to extend deadlines or hearing dates not affecting dispositive motion deadline or any date set by District Judge: file agreed/joint motion identifying current deadline, new deadline requested, and statement that request does not affect any dates set by District Judge. Court will ordinarily grant such motions by minute order within approximately 24 hours without a hearing. Parties seeking to move a hearing date must consult Court's Standing Order governing Status and Motion Practice when choosing new date -- if date requested is outside Court's standard schedule, motion cannot be granted without a hearing.
chevron_right
AI & Style Preferences
AI Disclosure Requirement
All pleadings and papers filed with Court must conform with FRCP 8, 11, and/or 26(g). Violations including the misuse of artificial intelligence may result in sanctions.
Additional Notes
Calendar-first model: civil motions Wednesday 10:00 a.m.; status Wednesday 10:30 a.m.; criminal motions Tu/Th 11:00 a.m. In-person required; no remote without advance leave. No courtesy copies. No civil notice of motion. AI misuse subject to sanctions. Judge Valdez has endorsed Sedona Conference Cooperation Proclamation for discovery. All settlement conferences by Webex.
Sources & Currency
verified
Procedures verified June 28, 2026.
Verify now →