Until further notice, consistent with the Tenth Amended General Order 20-0012 of the Northern District of Illinois, litigants are neither required nor permitted to notice motions for in-person presentment. If the Court determines that a hearing by electronic or other means is required, Court staff will notify the parties accordingly. Motions should instead be filed on the docket.
The following policy applies to all motions other than motions to dismiss (see the Court's separate Standing Order on motions to dismiss):
Each motion filed on the docket must state whether it is agreed or opposed. If the motion is opposed, counsel must confer on a briefing schedule. If the parties agree on a briefing schedule, the moving party must, along with the motion, file a separate statement on the docket setting forth the agreed briefing schedule. The moving party may not set forth the briefing schedule in the motion itself, nor may the moving party present the briefing schedule to the Court through an email or other unfiled communication. Agreed briefing schedules will be treated as binding on the parties unless the Court orders otherwise.
Any party that later seeks to modify an agreed briefing schedule must file a motion requesting such relief and explaining why “good cause” exists to justify the modification. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(b). If the parties cannot agree on a briefing schedule, the moving party must file a separate statement describing the competing proposed schedules. If, after a good faith effort or due to exigency, the moving party is unable to contact opposing counsel to discuss a briefing schedule, the moving party must (1) file the motion and the separate statement with a briefing schedule; (2) explain that it was unable to consult with opposing counsel; and (3) briefly describe its efforts to contact opposing counsel.
