As do many judges in the Northern District of Illinois, Judge Kness encourages attorneys and their clients to provide substantive speaking opportunities to less-experienced lawyers during any of the Court’s proceedings, including motion and status hearings, settlement conferences, claim-construction hearings, pretrial conferences, evidentiary hearings, sentencings, and trials. Although oral argument is not necessary for the Court to rule on most motions filed before it, the Court will consider scheduling oral argument if a party requests it and commits to entrusting the argument to a less-experienced lawyer. No party will be disadvantaged in any respect by a less-experienced lawyer making an argument. To that end, Judge Kness allows more than one attorney per side to speak during any proceeding. Lead attorneys may confer with the less-experienced lawyer to suggest additional argument or examination questions and may also, upon request for leave, interject as reasonably necessary to deliver additional argument or to conduct additional witness examination.