Circuit Court of Cook County Document Format Requirements

CRITICAL

Motions to exceed page limits are disfavored; page limits may not be evaded by font size or margin manipulation, and motions to extend page limits are not treated as routine motions.

Motions to exceed page limits are disfavored. This limit may not be evaded by font size, margin manipulation or otherwise. A motion for extension of page limits is not a routine motion.

CRITICAL

All trial exhibits must be page numbered, tabbed, and clearly labeled by exhibit number.

ALL EXHBITS SHALL BE PAGE NUMBERED, TABBED, AND CLEARLY LABELED BY EXHIBIT NUMBER.

CRITICAL

Proposed orders must not be submitted handwritten or on paper.

THIS COURTROOM IS PAPERLESS. DO NOT SEND HANDWRITTEN OR PAPER PROPOSED ORDERS TO THE COURT.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

PDF

Orders for the court must be tendered in both PDF and Word formats within one hour when appearing via Zoom; in-person orders must go to the Clerk immediately after rulings, or the court may enter its own order.

Orders tendered for the court’s consideration shall be tendered in both PDF and Word formats within the hour of court appearance when appearing via Zoom. If appearing in person, all orders must be tendered to the Clerk immediately after the court’s rulings. Failure to tender the order in a timely manner may result in the court entering its own.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

PDF

Motions for default judgment and supporting materials must be submitted as a clearly labeled text-searchable PDF with bookmarks.

Motions for default judgment and the supporting materials must be clearly labeled in a text-searchable PDF with bookmarks and sent via email and hard copy, placed in the bin outside Courtroom 1912.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

PDF

Pleadings and motions sent to the Court must be in PDF format.

Pleadings and Motions must be sent in .pdf format and otherwise comply with this standing order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Margins

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All Pleadings and Motions should be typed in 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch

All Pleadings and Motions should be typed in 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

DOCX

Parties should submit all orders in Word format.

Parties should submit all orders in Word format.

CRITICALCivil cases

All Calendar 1 filings must be double-spaced, 13-point, in Times New Roman or Century School Book.

All filings for Calendar 1 must be double-spaced, typed in 13-point Times New Roman or Century School Book.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Attachments to the e-mail should be in PDF form ONLY.

Attachments to the e-mail should be in PDF form ONLY.

CRITICALCivil cases

Margins

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All briefs must be double-spaced, typed in 12-point font, and set with 1-inch margins.

**All Briefs Shall Be:** (1) Double Spaced; (2) Typed in 12-point font; (3) Set with 1-inch margins.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

PDF

Proposed orders, bonds, and any other document requiring the Court’s signature must be submitted in PDF format.

Each proposed order, bond or any other document requiring the Court’s signature, shall be submitted in PDF format.

CRITICAL

Affidavits in support of foreclosure judgments must not have a stand-alone signature page if formatting allows the signature to begin on the last page of the affiant's statements.

All affidavits “prepared in support of entry of a judgment of foreclosure, by default or otherwise, shall not have a stand-alone signature page if formatting allows the signature to begin on the last page of the affiant's statements.” Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 113(c)(4).

CRITICAL

Prove up affidavits and loss mitigation affidavits must have the affiant's signature and notary/verification on the same page.

Prove up affidavits brought pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rules 113 and 191 and loss mitigation affidavits brought pursuant to Illinois Supreme Court Rule 114 shall have the affiant's signature and notary or verification pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/1-109 on the same page.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Email attachments for courtesy copies must be PDF files with clear titles; Word or other formats are prohibited.

(5) Attachments to the email should be in PDF form ONLY and should each have clear and conspicuous titles explaining what is contained within that PDF. DO NOT send courtesy copies as "Word" documents or in any other format other than PDF.

CRITICAL

Courtesy copy submissions must be under 30 megabytes including all attachments.

All courtesy copy submissions shall be fewer than 30 megabytes inclusive of all attachments to ensure delivery to the Court's email address.

CRITICAL

Format

PDF

Courtesy copies must be submitted as a single tabbed PDF containing the notice of motion, Zoom instructions, motions, exhibits, and prior orders, plus a separate single PDF for all proposed orders.

(1) A SINGLE, tabbed PDF document containing the notice of motion, Zoom instructions, all motion(s) being presented, exhibit(s) thereto, prior relevant orders, etc.; and (2) A SEPARATE SINGLE PDF document containing ALL proposed orders.

CRITICAL

Case management orders must be limited to 1-2 pages.

1-2 page case management orders shall be used.

CRITICAL

Font

12 pt

Motions and briefs must use a serif font (Century, Times New Roman, Equity) in 12-point type, with block quotes indented and footnotes in 10-point.

(h) All motions and briefs shall be typeset in a Century family (e.g., Century Expanded, New Century Schoolbook, or Century Schoolbook), Times New Roman, Equity, or other similar font with serifs in 12-point type. Quotations in excess of 50 words shall be indented an additional 1/2 inch on the left and right margins. The typeface of footnotes shall be 10-point type.

CRITICAL

Illinois citations must use official reporter or, for cases filed after July 1, 2011, the public domain system; unpublished and out-of-state citations must be to LEXIS; arguments without legal citation may be deemed waived.

Illinois case citations must be to the official Illinois Reporters (Ill., Ill. App., etc.). Parties shall not include citations to the North Eastern Reporter (N.E., N.E. 2d, etc.) or Illinois Decisions (Ill. Dec.). For Illinois cases filed after July 1, 2011, litigants must cite to the public domain system. See Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 6. Unpublished case citations must be to LEXIS. Out-of-state citations may be made to any reporter available on LEXIS. The Court reserves the right not to entertain arguments made without citation to legal authority, and may deem such arguments as waived.

CRITICAL

Margins

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All briefs shall be: (1) double-spaced with numbered pages; (2) typed in 12-point font with 1-inch margins; and (3) double-Sided. Briefs shall not exceed 15 pages unless specifically allowed by the Court.

All briefs shall be: (1) double-spaced with numbered pages; (2) typed in 12-point font with 1-inch margins; and (3) double-Sided. Briefs shall not exceed 15 pages unless specifically allowed by the Court.

CRITICAL

Video exhibits for courtesy copies must be on flash drive with no passwords.

All videos produced on a flash drive without any passwords required to view.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

DOCX

Draft orders must be submitted in Word format; all other motion-related documents must be PDF.

Provide draft orders in Word format and all other documents (e.g., motion, notices, exhibits) in PDF format.

CRITICALCivil cases

Margins

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Briefs must use 12-point font, 1-inch margins, double spacing; non-compliant briefs require leave of court.

Briefs must contain customary 12 point font, one inch margins and be double-spaced. Briefs filed in excess of these limitations will not be accepted or considered without leave of Court upon written motion containing good cause.

CRITICALCivil cases

Exhibits attached to pleadings must be clearly marked.

Pleadings that attach exhibits must include a table of contents, and the exhibits must be clearly marked.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

PDF

Pleadings and motions submitted as courtesy copies must be in PDF format.

Pleadings and Motions must be sent in .pdf format and otherwise comply with this standing order.

CRITICALCivil cases

All exhibits should be page numbered and tabbed.

All exhibits should be page numbered and tabbed.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

DOCX

If the parties wish to provide an agreed order, in Word format, to the Court via email that will be permitted.

If the parties wish to provide an agreed order, in Word format, to the Court via email that will be permitted.

CRITICALCivil cases

All briefs should be typed in 12-point and double spaced.

All briefs should be typed in 12-point and double spaced.

CRITICALCivil cases

Deposition transcripts cited in briefing must use at least 11-point font.

If a deposition is cited, a copy of the entire transcript, with text in at least 11-point font, must be provided.

CRITICALCivil cases

Illinois citations must use official reporters, no N.E. or Ill. Dec.; post-July 2011 IL cases must use public domain citations; unpublished cases cite LEXIS; out-of-state citations use LEXIS reporters.

Citations: Illinois case citations must be to the official Illinois Reporters (Ill., Ill. App., etc.). Parties shall not include citations to the North Eastern Reporter (N.E., N.E. 2d, etc.) or Illinois Decisions (Ill. Dec.). For Illinois cases filed after July 1, 2011, litigants must cite to the public domain system. See Ill. Sup. Ct. R. 6. Unpublished case citations must be to LEXIS. Out-of-state citations may be made to any reporter available on LEXIS. The Court reserves the right not to entertain arguments made without citation to legal authority, and may deem such arguments as waived.

CRITICALCivil cases

Briefs must be double-spaced and written in 12-point Times New Roman font.

Font: Briefs must be double-spaced and written in 12-point Times New Roman font.

CRITICALCivil cases

Evidentiary hearing deposition transcripts must use at least 11-point font.

full transcripts of evidence depositions, with text in at least 11-point font, to be used at the hearing marked by each party to identify portions to be offered;

CRITICALCivil cases

Margins

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Margins must be 1 or 1.25 inches on all sides, and documents must use 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

Margins: Margins must be 1 or 1.25 inches on all sides and on 8.5 x 11-inch paper.

CRITICALCivil cases

Trial deposition transcripts must use at least 11-point font.

full transcripts of evidence depositions, with text in at least 11-point font, to be used at trial, marked by each party to identify portions to be offered;

CRITICALCivil cases

Trial exhibits must be bound in separate tabbed binders with table of contents and exhibit list.

a complete set of separate bound, pre-marked, and tabbed set of all trial exhibits as follows: one binder for joint exhibits, one binder for plaintiff’s exhibits, and one binder for defendant’s exhibits. Each binder shall include a table of contents within the set itself and an exhibit list that identifies each exhibit, and whether any party objects to a particular exhibit, save for in the joint-exhibit binder. The exhibits shall be identified numerically, not by letter designations, and shall all be separately tabbed.

CRITICALCivil cases

Margins

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All briefs should be double-spaced with 12-point font and at least 1-inch margins.

All briefs should be double-spaced with 12-point font and at least 1-inch margins.

CRITICALCivil cases

All exhibits should be page-numbered and tabbed.

All exhibits should be page-numbered and tabbed.

CRITICALCivil cases

Format

PDF

Electronic courtesy copies must be organized, searchable, with exhibits attached; filenames must include YYYY-MM-DD filing date and document ID.

Electronic courtesy copies of all documents shall be delivered to the court in an organized and searchable format with exhibits properly attached and marked. a. Any electronic files submitted to the court shall state in the filename (1) the date the document was filed in the form YYYY-MM-DD; and (2) identification of what the document is.

CRITICAL

All exhibits must be page numbered, tabbed, and clearly labeled by exhibit number.

ALL EXHBITS SHALL BE PAGE NUMBERED, TABBED, AND CLEARLY LABELED BY EXHIBIT NUMBER.

CRITICAL

Format

DOCX

Proposed orders must be submitted in Word format; handwritten or paper proposed orders are prohibited.

THIS COURTROOM IS PAPERLESS. DO NOT SEND HANDWRITTEN OR PAPER PROPOSED ORDERS TO THE COURT. Parties should send Orders in Word Format (.doc or .docx).

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Deposition transcript

Deposition transcripts must be formatted in mini-script (4 pages per 1 page) and double-sided.

any deposition transcripts submitted in mini-script, 4 pages per one page, and double-sided.

CRITICALCivil cases

Applies to

Brief

The Court requests that all briefs be double-sided and any deposition transcripts submitted in mini-script, 4 pages per one page, and double-sided.

The Court requests that all briefs be double-sided and any deposition transcripts submitted in mini-script, 4 pages per one page, and double-sided.

CRITICAL

Margins

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Briefs must use 12-point font, one-inch margins, and double spacing.

Briefs must contain customary 12-point font, one-inch margins and be double-spaced.

CRITICALCivil cases

All exhibits attached to motions, responses, and replies must be individually tabbed.

ALL Exhibits attached to any Motion, Response, and Reply need to be individually tabbed.