Northern District of Illinois Filing Timing and Cure Windows

CRITICALCivil cases

All dispositive motions must be filed within 28 days after the scheduled end of expert discovery; a party may move for summary judgment earlier if circumstances warrant, subject to the trial judge's decision whether to consider it.

All dispositive motions shall be filed within twenty-eight (28) days after the scheduled date for the end of expert discovery.

CRITICALCivil cases

Expert witness depositions must be completed within 35 days after exchange of expert rebuttal disclosures.

Depositions of expert witnesses shall be completed within thirty-five (35) days after exchange of expert rebuttal disclosures.

CRITICALCivil cases

Each party must make its initial expert disclosures on issues for which it bears the burden of proof within 21 days after discovery closes following the claim construction ruling, unless the Court orders otherwise.

within twenty-one (21) days after the close of discovery after the claim construction ruling, each party shall make its initial expert witness disclosures required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 on issues for which it bears the burden of proof;

CRITICALCivil cases

Each party must make rebuttal expert disclosures on issues for which the opposing party bears the burden of proof within 35 days after the date for initial expert reports, unless the Court orders otherwise.

within thirty-five (35) days after the date for initial expert reports, each party shall make its rebuttal expert witness disclosures required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 on the issues for which the opposing party bears the burden of proof.

CRITICALCivil cases

Motions concerning expert qualifications, methodologies, and related matters under Rules 702 or 703 and Daubert must be filed by the earlier of 60 days before trial or 10 days before the expert discovery cutoff.

Any motions concerning expert qualifications, methodologies, and related matters within Rule 702, Rule 703, and Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993), and its progeny, must be filed at least sixty days prior to trial or ten days prior to the expert discovery cutoff date, whichever is earlier.

CRITICALCivil cases

Deadline

2 business days

The joint status report must be filed no later than two business days before the initial status conference.

In all new cases assigned to Judge Dow’s calendar (as distinguished from cases transferred from other judges to Judge Dow’s initial calendar), counsel are directed to confer, prepare, and file a joint status report, not to exceed five pages, no later than two business days prior to the initial status conference.

CRITICALCivil cases

Deadline

7 calendar days

Responses to motions in limine must be filed and served within seven days after the motions are filed.

Responses to motions in limine must be filed and served no later than seven days after the motions are filed.

CRITICALCivil cases

Unless the Court schedules otherwise, motions in limine must be filed and served by the Final Pretrial Order due date.

Unless otherwise scheduled by the Court, any motions in limine must be filed and served no later than the date on which the Final Pretrial Order is due.

CRITICALCivil cases

Plaintiff must file the Schedule A memorandum within 2 weeks of filing the case.

Within 2 weeks of filing a "Schedule A" case, plaintiff shall file a memorandum, not to exceed 10 pages addressing the following topics:

CRITICALCivil cases

Unless the Court orders otherwise, motions in limine must be filed three weeks before the pretrial order is filed.

Unless otherwise ordered, all motions in limine must be filed three weeks before the filing of the pretrial order.

CRITICALCivil cases

Each party must file proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law by the first day of trial.

No later than the first day of trial, each party shall file its proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law.

CRITICALCivil cases

Responses to motions in limine are due one week before the pretrial order is filed.

Responses are due one week before the filing of the pretrial order.

CRITICALCivil cases

A motion for a preliminary injunction must be filed at least 14 days after service on defendants of the complaint, TRO, motion for TRO, and other relevant documents.

Any motion for a preliminary injunction must be filed at least 14 days after service on the defendants of the complaint, Temporary Restraining Order, motion for a temporary restraining order, and other relevant and applicable documents.

CRITICALCivil cases

If Plaintiff files a reply brief, it is due 14 days after Defendant’s brief is filed.

and Plaintiff’s reply brief, if any, is due 14 days after Defendant’s brief is filed.

CRITICALCivil cases

For a previously remanded case, the parties must file a joint statement with pertinent past case information within 14 days of assignment to Judge McLaughlin.

If the case was previously remanded, the parties shall file a short joint statement within 14 days of assignment to Judge McLaughlin providing pertinent past case information.

CRITICALCivil cases

Plaintiff’s opening brief is due within 60 days after the administrative record is filed.

Plaintiff’s brief in support of reversing or remanding the decision subject to review is due within 60 days of the filing of the administrative record;

CRITICALCivil cases

The Social Security Administration’s responsive brief is due 45 days after Plaintiff’s brief is filed.

the Social Security Administration’s responsive brief is due 45 days after Plaintiff’s brief is filed;

CRITICALCivil cases

Deadline

3 business days

The parties must file a joint status report at least three business days before the initial status hearing, unless the Court orders otherwise.

the parties are required to file a joint status report at least three business days before the initial status hearing unless otherwise ordered by the Court.

CRITICALCivil cases

Responsive brief due 45 days after the opening brief.

the responsive brief will be due 45 days thereafter

CRITICALCivil cases

Opening brief due within 60 days of the filing of the administrative record.

The opening brief will generally be due within 60 days of the filing of the administrative record

CRITICALCivil cases

Reply brief, if any, due 14 days after the responsive brief.

the reply, if any, will be due 14 days thereafter

CRITICALCivil cases

Unless otherwise ordered, responses are due 5 business days after a motion is filed and replies are due 3 business days after responses; filings should be consolidated as much as reasonable.

Unless otherwise ordered, responses are due 5 business days after the motion’s filing, and replies are due 3 business days after the responses; again, consolidate as much as reasonable.

CRITICALCivil cases

Motions in limine must be filed by the earlier of the Proposed Final Pretrial Order due date or 3 weeks before trial.

The motions themselves must be filed the earlier of: (a) the due date of the Proposed Final Pretrial Order; or (b) 3 weeks before trial.

CRITICAL

Plaintiff must file the interrogatory answers with the Court by 42 days after the Order, and no earlier, using the specified title.

By _________________ [42 days from the date this Order is issued], and no earlier, Plaintiff shall answer the Court's Interrogatories (attached to this Order) under oath or penalty of perjury, serve a copy on Defendant, and file the answers with the Court entitled "Notice of Filing Answers to Court's Interrogatories."

CRITICAL

Defendant's counsel must deliver the defendant's settlement letter to plaintiff's counsel and the Court at least 7 days before the settlement conference.

defendant's counsel must deliver defendant's settlement letter to plaintiff's counsel and the Court at least seven (7) days before the settlement conference

CRITICAL

Deadline

20 calendar days

In collective actions, parties must exchange documents for opt-in Plaintiffs who join before notice dissemination within twenty days of their opt-in notices being filed, and those Plaintiffs must file and serve answers to the Court’s Interrogatories within an additional twenty days.

In collective actions, an exchange of documents as referenced in Paragraph 1 shall occur with respect to opt-in Plaintiffs who join the action before the dissemination of a court- approved opt-in notice. The exchange of documents must occur within twenty days of their filing of opt-in notices with this Court, and such opt-in Plaintiffs must thereafter file and serve their respective answers to the Court's Interrogatories within an additional twenty days.

CRITICAL

Plaintiff's counsel must deliver the plaintiff's settlement letter to defendant's counsel and the Court at least 14 days before the settlement conference, unless a different schedule is set.

Unless the Court sets a different schedule, plaintiff's counsel must deliver plaintiff's settlement letter to defendant's counsel and the Court at least fourteen (14) days before the settlement conference

CRITICAL

Deadline

90 calendar days

Counsel must jointly file the Report Regarding Settlement by 90 days from the Order and after the settlement conference.

By _________________ [90 days from the date this Order is issued], after the settlement conference, counsel shall jointly file a Report Regarding Settlement that notifies the Court whether: (1) the parties have settled the case; (2) the parties have not settled the case but wish to continue settlement discussions for a specific period of time; (3) the parties wish to engage in a formal mediation conference before a specific mediator on or before a specific date;

WARNINGCriminal cases

Deadline

10 business days

Proposed exhibit charts must be exchanged 10 business days before the filing deadline; objections must be returned 5 business days before the deadline.

The parties must exchange their respective proposed exhibit charts 10 business days before the deadline for filing the charts, and the objecting side must return the chart with the objection column filled in 5 business days before the deadline.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Deadline

5 business days

Proposed stipulations must be served 5 business days before the pretrial conference.

No later than 5 business days before the pretrial conference, the parties must serve on each other proposed stipulations.

WARNINGCriminal cases

Deadline

5 business days

Proposed voir dire questions must be exchanged 5 business days before the Joint Pretrial Statement due date, and parties must confer 2 business days before.

Each side shall provide the other with proposed voir dire questions 5 business days before the due date of the Joint Pretrial Statement, and confer by 2 business days before the due date in order to generate this section of the Statement.

WARNINGCivil cases

The Court may change the listed deadlines, and the submission dates in its minute entry before the Pre-Trial Conference control.

The Court may change the below deadlines and will specify exact submission deadlines in a minute entry before the Pre-Trial Conference. The dates in the minute entry shall govern timing of submission of the documents below.

WARNINGCivil cases

Objections to any of these instructions, and any requests for variation, should be brought to the Court’s attention at or before the final pretrial conference.

Objections to any of these instructions, and any requests for variation, should be brought to the Court’s attention at or before the final pretrial conference.

WARNINGCivil cases

Daubert challenges are not motions in limine and must follow the applicable schedule for those motions.

Please note that motions challenging the admissibility of expert testimony under Daubert v. Merrell Lynch Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993), are not deemed motions in limine and must be filed in accordance with the applicable schedule for such motions.

WARNINGCivil cases

The Court sets the filing date for the Proposed Pretrial Order, usually no later than two weeks before the Final Pretrial Conference.

The Court will set a date for filing the Proposed Pretrial Order, usually no later than two weeks prior to the Final Pretrial Conference.

WARNINGCivil cases

The Court will set the final pretrial order filing date in advance of trial.

In each case, the Court will set the date in advance of trial on which the parties must file the final pretrial order.

WARNINGCivil cases

Deadline

21 calendar days

A mediation schedule usually sets the plaintiff's proposal due 21 days before the settlement conference and the defendant's proposal due 10 days before, but these are general dates.

If a mediation schedule is to be set, usually it will include the settlement conference as well as dates for an exchange of mediation statements, generally with plaintiff's proposal due 21 days before the date chosen for the settlement conference, and with the defendant's proposal due 10 days before.

INFOCivil cases

The Court will schedule the Pre-Trial Conference two to three weeks before trial begins.

The Court will schedule the Pre-Trial Conference two to three weeks before the commencement of trial.

INFOCivil cases

The Court may adjust the general mediation-statement deadlines.

The Court is flexible about these dates.