**Senior District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo** was appointed to the Northern District of Illinois by President William J. Clinton in 1994. Judge Bucklo was born in 1944 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. She clerked for Judge Robert Sprecher at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1972 to 1973, then was in private law practice in Chicago from 1973 to 1978 and 1980 to 1985. She was a visiting professor at University of California at Davis School of Law from 1978 to 1980. She served as U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Illinois from 1985 to 1994 before being elevated to district judge. She assumed senior status in 2009. **Education** - Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1972 - St. Louis University, A.B., 1966 **Career** - Senior District Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (2009–present) - District Judge, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (1994–2009) - U.S. Magistrate Judge, Northern District of Illinois (1985–1994) - Visiting Professor, University of California at Davis School of Law (1978–1980) - Private practice, Chicago (1973–1978, 1980–1985) - Law Clerk, Hon. Robert Sprecher, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit (1972–1973)
**Courthouse:** Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604 **Chambers:** Room 2246 **Phone:** (312) 435-7610 **Chambers Staff** - Courtroom Deputy: Maria Hernandez, (312) 435-7611, Room 2244A - Court Reporter: Sandra Tennis, (312) 554-8244, Room 2260 - Judicial Assistant: Pat Hagenmaier
The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Parties must jointly prepare and submit a Final Pretrial Order by the court-set date.
The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Motions in limine must be filed and served with the Final Pretrial Order, must not be bound with it, and responses are due within 14 days.
No. The rule prohibits holding covered papers for bundling. Motions in limine must not be bound together with the Final Pretrial Order.
The rule addresses filing timing, filing status, or cure windows. Responses to motions in limine must be filed and served within 14 days.
Parties must jointly prepare and submit a Final Pretrial Order by the court-set date.
The Final Pretrial Order must include a concise statement of subject matter jurisdiction and, if disputed, the nature and basis of the dispute.
The Final Pretrial Order must include a concise statement of claims, defenses, counterclaims, and cross claims, which will be read to the jury during voir dire in a jury trial.
The Final Pretrial Order must include an itemization of damages and other relief sought.
The Final Pretrial Order must list all witnesses; unlisted witnesses are precluded from testifying absent good cause, with a rebuttal witness exception.
Objections to witnesses not stated in the Final Pretrial Order are waived absent good cause.
The Final Pretrial Order must state each expert's subject of expertise and any objections; Daubert objections must be noted in the order and set forth in a separate motion in limine, or they are waived.
The Final Pretrial Order must include a deposition chart with page/line designations, objections, and basis of admissibility; unstated objections are waived.
The Final Pretrial Order must schedule all trial exhibits by number with descriptions; unlisted exhibits are excluded absent good cause.
Objections to exhibits not stated in the Final Pretrial Order are waived absent good cause.
Parties displaying exhibits to the jury must provide sufficient copies for all jurors or use an enlargement or projection.
The Final Pretrial Order must state whether trial is bench or jury and provide a realistic length estimate.
The Final Pretrial Order must summarize the history and current status of settlement negotiations.
For bench trials, the Final Pretrial Order must include proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, and parties must email them to the court at trial.
For jury trials, the Final Pretrial Order must include proposed voir dire; parties need not duplicate Judge Bucklo's general questions but must submit objections, modifications, additions, and case-specific questions.
For jury trials, proposed jury instructions must use the Seventh Circuit Pattern Civil Jury Instructions; IPI instructions are required for substantive law issues in diversity cases governed by Illinois law.
Parties must submit one joint set of jury instructions, listing objections with authority and placing competing instructions with the disputed instruction.
At trial, parties must email their joint set of jury instructions incorporating the court's changes.
Motions in limine must be filed and served with the Final Pretrial Order, must not be bound with it, and responses are due within 14 days.
Responses to motions in limine must be filed and served within 14 days.
Motions in limine must not be bound together with the Final Pretrial Order.
Trial briefs will not be accepted unless the court grants prior leave.
Items must be submitted directly to Judge Bucklo's court reporter at least 7 days before trial.
Plaintiff's counsel must provide the draft final pretrial order to defendant's counsel no later than 21 days before the final pretrial order is due.
Defendant's counsel must respond in writing to plaintiff's draft final pretrial order no later than 14 days before it is due.
Parties must meet and confer no later than 7 days before the final pretrial order is due.
The final pretrial order must include a cover document with the case caption, title, required recitation, specific controlling language, and signatures of counsel and the court.
Trial counsel who is fully prepared and has authority to discuss all aspects of the case must attend the final pretrial conference.