**Magistrate Judge Jeannice W. Appenteng** was appointed to the Northern District of Illinois in 2023. She is the first African American woman to serve as a Magistrate Judge in the Northern District of Illinois. She took her oath of office on October 27, 2023. Before joining the bench, Judge Appenteng served eight years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, most recently in the office's Public Corruption and Organized Crime Section. She also served as the office's Criminal Civil Rights and Hate Crimes Coordinator, co-chair of its Diversity Committee, and as a member of the hiring committee. Earlier in her career, she clerked for two federal district judges — Hon. Sharon Johnson Coleman of the Northern District of Illinois and Hon. James A. Beaty, Jr. of the Middle District of North Carolina — and was an attorney in private practice at Schiff Hardin LLP for approximately five years. **Education** - Tulane University School of Law, J.D. - Georgetown University, undergraduate degree **Career** - Assistant U.S. Attorney (Public Corruption and Organized Crime Section), Northern District of Illinois (approximately 2015–2023) - Attorney, Schiff Hardin LLP, Chicago (approximately five years) - Law Clerk, Hon. Sharon Johnson Coleman, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois - Law Clerk, Hon. James A. Beaty Jr., U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina
**Courthouse:** Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, 219 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604 **Chambers:** Room 1870 **Phone:** (312) 435-5667 **Fax:** (312) 554-8241 **Chambers Staff** - Courtroom Deputy: Kym Lozano, (312) 818-6551, Room 1854B - Law Clerks: Emily Atseff Hussey, Allison Engel
Courtesy copies are required when a filing is > 10 pages. Details: 1 copy, delivery upon filing, by hand delivery. Courtesy copies required for submissions over 10 pages.
The rule does not state that a pre-motion letter is required, but it sets the applicable pre-motion procedure. Parties challenging confidentiality designation must confer directly with designating party in good faith before judicial intervention.
Judge Jeannice W. Appenteng's rule states these limits: 6 pages. Excludes exhibits. Settlement letters limited to 6 pages double-spaced (excluding exhibits).
Judge Jeannice W. Appenteng's formatting rule includes file format computer or tablet and cell phones prohibited. Cell phones prohibited for videoconference participation.
The rule identifies required filing content or certificates. Witnesses not on the witness lists are barred from testifying unless the proponent shows good cause for the failure to disclose.
The rule requires local rule certificate. Copies of documents marked CONFIDENTIAL-SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER must bear the same marking, except for indices/databases/lists that do not disclose confidential substance.
Parties may contact Judge Jeannice W. Appenteng's chambers by email only as allowed by the rule. The rule lists email Settlement_Correspondence_Appenteng@ilnd.uscourts.gov. Parties must email settlement letters to chambers on same day as opposing counsel with specific subject line format.
Judge Jeannice W. Appenteng's rules set procedures for sealed or redacted filings. AI models, inputs, and outputs derived from Confidential Information are deemed Confidential and restricted to use in this litigation.
Requests should be made at least 10 calendar days in advance when this rule applies before Judge Jeannice W. Appenteng. The request must include reason for request and proposed rescheduled date. Settlement conference rescheduling requires written motion filed 10 days in advance with full explanation.
Electronic filing is permitted for the covered filings. Witness lists may be filed as separate ECF documents filed simultaneously with the proposed pretrial order, which must note their separate filing.
The rule addresses service method, recipient, or timing requirements. Details: recipient: all parties, timing: 10 business days. Parties must serve proposed stipulations and uncontested facts on each other no later than 10 business days before the pretrial order's due date, and confer in good faith no later than 5 business days before the due date.
The proposed pretrial order must itemize damages and other relief sought with a concise explanation of the evidentiary basis for each item.
The proposed pretrial order must state the estimated number of trial days, propose time limits for openings, closings, and witness examination per side, and state the recommended number of jurors.
The proposed pretrial order must state stipulations and uncontested facts in numbered paragraphs.
Parties must serve proposed stipulations and uncontested facts on each other no later than 10 business days before the pretrial order's due date, and confer in good faith no later than 5 business days before the due date.
Each party must provide a witness list in the proposed pretrial order divided into witnesses called, witnesses presented by deposition or prior testimony, and witnesses who might be called.
Witnesses not on the witness lists are barred from testifying unless the proponent shows good cause for the failure to disclose.
Witness lists may be filed as separate ECF documents filed simultaneously with the proposed pretrial order, which must note their separate filing.
Parties must submit an exhibit chart for Plaintiff's and Defendant's exhibits stating exhibit number, date, description, relevance, and any objection with the proponent's theory of admissibility.
Objection grounds not listed in the exhibit chart may be waived, except for foundation and authentication.
The exhibit chart's format must be substantially similar to the provided example, and landscape orientation is encouraged.
Any substantive exhibit not objected to is deemed stipulated and admissible by the Order, though it must still be referred to during trial testimony or otherwise published to the jury to enter the record.
Exhibit charts may be filed as separate ECF documents filed simultaneously with the proposed pretrial order, which must note their separate filing.
Parties must make a good faith effort to stipulate to the authenticity of exhibits whenever possible.
Parties must limit objections to only good-faith objections; frivolous and boilerplate objections are discouraged because the Court reviews exhibits and objections before the pretrial conference.
Parties should not over-designate exhibits because the Court examines exhibits one-by-one at the pretrial conference and plainly inadmissible exhibits waste time.
The exhibit chart should include proposed demonstrative exhibits and any exhibits likely to be referred to at trial even if not allowed into evidence.
Copies of documents marked CONFIDENTIAL-SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER must bear the same marking, except for indices/databases/lists that do not disclose confidential substance.
Designating a document as Confidential Information constitutes a certification by the attorney or pro se party that the document meets the order's definition.
Deposition testimony is protected under this Order only if designated CONFIDENTIAL-SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER on the record when taken, with specific portions identified.
Notice of Designation for deposition testimony must be served within 14 days of transcript delivery, or on-record designation is waived.
Absent party agreement on the record, all deposition testimony is presumptively confidential until 14 days post-transcript delivery or 60 days post-testimony, whichever is earlier.
AI models, inputs, and outputs derived from Confidential Information are deemed Confidential and restricted to use in this litigation.
Notice of Designation for deposition testimony must be served within the presumptive confidentiality period, or all designation is waived.
Parties must choose either Alternative A or B for deposition confidentiality and delete the unselected alternative and footnote.
Court reporters must separately bind pages of confidential transcribed deposition testimony and deposition exhibits.
This Order does not authorize filing under seal; parties must comply with LR 26.2 to file Confidential Information under seal.
Use of private LLM or AI platforms requires disclosure of intent to use and confirmation that data will not train public models or be retained beyond litigation.
Parties may not withhold discovery information for protection greater than this Order without moving for a special protection order.
Parties challenging confidentiality designation must confer directly with designating party in good faith before judicial intervention.
Designating party must respond to confidentiality designation challenge within 5 business days.