In accordance with U.S. Dist. Ct. N.D. Ill. Fifth Amended General Order 21-0027 (October 11, 2022), Local Rule 5.3(b), which otherwise requires that all motions be noticed for presentment, is suspended because of the Covid pandemic. Therefore, no motions may be noticed for in-person presentment. Motions shall be filed without an accompanying notice of motion for a particular presentment date. Judge Gilbert will set a motion for hearing, if necessary, set a briefing schedule, or notify the parties of other action needed by electronic means.
Until further order of the Court, parties shall no longer deliver to chambers courtesy copies of status reports, motions and memoranda of law, or any other documents filed electronically, unless specifically requested by the Court.
The Court strongly prefers that people appearing by telephone use a land line rather than a mobile phone whenever possible. The Court recognizes, however, that some people may not have access to a land line telephone if they are working from home. The Court’s courtroom deputy will circulate a call-in number and access code. If counsel have any questions about participating by telephone in hearings or settlement conferences, they should contact Judge Gilbert's courtroom deputy at Brenda_Rinozzi@ilnd.uscourts.gov.
Pre-Settlement Conference Letters shall be delivered to the Court at the following email address: Settlement_Correspondence_Gilbert@ilnd.uscourts.gov. The subject line of the e-mail must include the case number and name. All letters must be submitted in PDF or Word format, and must also be served on all relevant parties via e-mail. Settlement letters still should not be filed via the CM/ECF system. Judge Gilbert is suspending his preference for delivery of hard copies of settlement letters to chambers as set forth in his Standing Order for Settlement Conference.
Judge Gilbert is participating in the Mandatory Initial Discovery Pilot Project (“MIDP”) for all cases filed on or after June 1, 2017 through and including May 31, 2020. This applies to all cases referred to Judge Gilbert by Judges Alonso, Bucklo, Chang, Coleman, Dow, Durkin, Ellis, Feinerman, Kendall, Lee, Pacold, Pallmeyer, Rowland, Seeger, Shah, Tharp, and Wood and all cases in which the parties have consented to this Court’s exercise of jurisdiction. The following cases are exempt from the Pilot Project: (1) cases exempted by Rule 26(a)(1)(B); (2) actions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act; (3) patent cases governed by a local rule; and (4) cases transferred for consolidated administration in the District by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. All other cases fall within the Pilot Project and parties must read and comply with the Standing Order for the Mandatory Initial Discovery Pilot Project. Please see Judge Gilbert's Case Management Procedures for additional information. NOTE: THE MIDP EXPIRED ON JUNE 1, 2020, AND IT DOES NOT APPLY TO CASES FILED ON OR AFTER THAT DATE.
In accordance with the Amended General Order 20-0022, the Court will be conducting initial appearances, arraignments, detention hearings, and other preliminary criminal proceedings via video conference or, if video is not reasonably available, then by telephone because of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided that the defendant consents to such a remote hearing. Members of the public or press who wish to attend a video or telephone hearing will be allowed to do so but must mute their phones or computers during the hearing. A schedule of telephone or video hearings and the necessary call-in or web site access information can be obtained from the Court's courtroom deputy clerk at Brenda_Rinozzi@ilnd.uscourts.gov.
The information on this page and any linked pages contain important information about Judge Gilbert's pretrial case management procedures. Please take the time to read all of the information carefully. These policies and rules have been designed to facilitate the prompt efficient and equitable disposition of civil cases on Judge Gilbert's docket. The success of this court's pretrial procedures depends on your willingness to familiarize yourself with these materials and to act accordingly. It is expected that all counsel will be familiar with these procedures.
MOTIONS: Judge Gilbert hears motions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:15 a.m. Motions must be filed no later than 4:00 p.m. on the third business day preceding the day the motion is to be heard. A notice of motion should be filed as a separate document and should not be filed as an attachment to the motion. Joint uncontested and agreed motions should be so identified in the title and the body of the motion.
COURTESY COPIES: Judge Gilbert requires courtesy copies of all status reports, motions and memoranda of law (including exhibits) noticed for presentment before him in referral cases. In consent cases, Judge Gilbert requires courtesy copies of all documents filed electronically (except attorney appearance forms, returns of service, or motions to appear pro hac vice). All courtesy copies shall be delivered to Judge Gilbert's Chambers Room 1366 as soon as practicable and no later than noon the next business day. Courtesy copies need not be delivered in an envelope unless a filing contains material filed under seal. When such motions and/or memoranda of law are filed under seal, only copies of the sealed pleadings should be delivered. The Court does not want or need copies of the redacted filings. Courtesy copies shall be one-sided and not printed on both sides. All courtesy copies must be stapled, spiral bound, or secured in a binder depending on the length of the document. Every document delivered to Chambers MUST HAVE THE CM-ECF HEADER that identifies the docket entry associated with the filed document. This includes courtesy copies of documents filed under seal.
CONTACTING CHAMBERS: Parties may contact Judge Gilbert's courtroom deputy at brenda_rinozzi@ilnd.uscourts.gov. ALL parties must be copied to avoid any ex parte communication with the court. Counsel should email and/or jointly call Judge Gilbert's courtroom deputy at 312-408-5024 as soon as possible if the parties resolve an issue that is scheduled for argument or is under consideration by Judge Gilbert. After normal business hours counsel may leave a message on the courtroom deputy’s voicemail.
Judge Gilbert currently is not accepting law clerk applications.
