Judge Coleman requires courtesy copies of all documents, including sentencing memoranda, that exceed 15 pages in length, including all exhibits. 

Motions for pretrial release or modification of the conditions of pretrial release will not be considered unless the defendant and a knowledgeable pretrial service officer are present in court.  It is the parties' obligation to notify the pretrial services officer of court hearings and to ensure their availability or that a written report is provided in advance of the hearing.  Motions to release a defendant to a third-party custodian will not be considered unless the proposed third-party custodian is present in court and available for examination. 

Motions for modification of supervised release or early termination of supervised release will not be considered unless the defendant and the assigned probation officer are present in court.  It is the parties' obligation to notify the probation officer of court hearings and to ensure their availability. 

Due to the new procedures imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, criminal defendants are to appear in person. Defendants that are currently in custody, may seek leave to appear by telephone or video for the scheduled hearing. Counsel may follow the format in the attached template to submit an agreed order to have their client appear by telephone or video.

Video Pleas and Sentencing Assigned Judge Template Order.DRAFT (002).docx

Please be advised that the Court will hear emergency motions only in exceptional circumstances after making a preliminary determination of whether an actual emergency exists.

Emergency matters must be of such a nature that a delay in hearing them would cause serious harm to one or more of the parties. Requests to set a hearing on an emergency motion shall be made to the courtroom deputy (Room 1238) with as much advance notice as possible. All reasonable efforts must be made to give actual notice to opposing counsel.

**Beginning January 1, 2023, all hearings will presumptively require the parties' in-person attendance. Please refer to the minute entry or order entered on the case docket if your hearing will proceed via telephone conference.**

Although disfavored, this Court will consider requests for leave to appear telephonically at routine hearings that will not require substantive argument when counsel is located or is otherwise unable to appear in Court. Slight geographic inconvenience (such as commuting from the Chicago suburbs) will not justify a telephonic hearing. Cases that have been pending longer than two years and cases set for initial status must appear in person. Under no circumstances will this Court proceed with a hearing when neither party is present in open court. 

Requests to appear telephonically must be e-mailed to the Courtroom Deputy no later than one full business day prior to the hearing.  The e-mail must include the case name and number, the date and time of the hearing, the name of the attorney seeking to appear by telephone, the name of the party he or she represents, and a direct telephone number where he or she can be reached when the case is called.  The e-mail shall also briefly explain why a telephonic appearance is necessary and shall indicate if local counsel will also be appearing.  Courtesy notice must be provided to all parties. 

If a telephonic hearing is permitted, the courtroom deputy will email the parties with the call in number.  

Proposed orders are not to be filed in ECF.  Instead, they must be submitted in Microsoft Word format to the Court’s proposed order e-mail inbox, Proposed_Order_Coleman@ilnd.uscourts.gov.  The subject line of the e-mail must include the case number and name, the docket number of the corresponding motion, and the title of the order that is proposed.  Such proposed orders must be served on all parties. 

The Court will not entertain or enter proposed orders that do not correspond to a pending motion unless the order is being submitted with prior leave of Court.  The proposed order inbox may only be used for the submission of proposed orders and may not be used to communicate with the Court or to submit motions or other pleadings.  Please direct all questions regarding proposed orders to the Courtroom Deputy. 

Newly Filed Cases:

The Court will set all newly filed cases for status approximately 60 days from the filing of complaint. The parties shall file a joint written status report, not to exceed five pages in length, at least three business days prior to the initial status hearing unless otherwise directed.

New Case Joint Status Report

Reassigned Cases:

Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, in all cases assigned to Judge Coleman's calendar from the calendar of another judge, the Court directs the parties to file a joint written status report, not to exceed five pages in length, within 14 business days of reassignment.  Thereafter, the Court will advise parties of further action.

Reassigned Case Joint Status Report

Electronic discovery disputes:

If the parties have reached an impasse regarding the discovery of voluminous records from a database, server, computer, service provider or similar electronic storage facility (ESF), before filing a motion to compel, the parties are required to meet and confer with an IT representative of the ESF to be searched in order to determine the most effective way to retrieve the requested material. The party seeking the discovery must also bring its IT specialist to this meeting in order to discuss the proper format for the retrieval of the records. This electronic discovery conference must take place in person and both sides should be prepared to discuss specifically the parameters of both the search and the ESF.

Deposition disputes:

When disputes arise during depositions outside the courthouse, counsel should contact the Courtroom Deputy, who will make arrangements for a conference call at which the Judge or Magistrate Judge will be available to rule on such disputes on the record over the telephone.

Civil and criminal motions are heard on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. but the Court is available to hear motions any day during the work week. For days and times that are outside of a Tuesday or Wednesday, please contact the courtroom deputy to ensure that the Court has availability.    

All electronically filed motions must be filed no later than the third business day preceding the day the motion is to be heard.  All motions (including joint or agreed motions) must be noticed for presentment pursuant to Local Rule 5.3(b) in order to be considered by this Court.  Presentment is not required, however, when a briefing schedule has already been set on the motion being filed.  Motions noticed for presentment after a scheduled status hearing may be addressed at that status hearing by agreement of the parties or at the Court’s discretion.  Motions for extension of time must be presented prior to the expiration of the deadline or demonstrate excusable neglect under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6(b)(1)(B).

The Court requires courtesy copies of all documents, including sentencing memoranda, that are over fifteen pages in length, including exhibits.  Courtesy copies are to be delivered to Courtroom Deputy Yvette Montanez in room 1238 within 24 hours of filing.  Confirmation of receipt will not be available.  Courtesy copies need not be delivered in an envelope unless they contain materials that are under seal.

When seeking an entry of default, it is preferred practice that the requesting party file a motion for entry of default, as opposed to a request to the Clerk of Court. Judge Coleman requires all motions for entry of default or default judgment to be noticed for presentment. In addition, parties should be prepared to prove up damages either by affidavit or at a hearing. *See "Schedule A Counterfeit Product Cases" tab for more information on such cases. 

Joint, uncontested, or agreed motions should be so identified in the title and body of the motion.

 Motions to extend a discovery cutoff date or to reset a trial date, whether uncontested or contested, must be in writing and will require a court appearance.

Attorney motions for leave to proceed pro hac vice do not need to be noticed up for presentment. 

The Court will not entertain any motions that do not comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules, and this Court’s standing orders. 

The Court does not allow oral arguments on substantive motions as a matter of course.  In cases involving limited issues the parties can agree to brief argument in lieu of written briefing with prior notice to the courtroom deputy.  Pro se litigants will always be permitted the opportunity to argue their positions on a substantive motion following the close of briefing.  Otherwise, the Court will inform the parties regarding the Court’s need for oral argument following the close of briefing.

The Court strongly encourages all attorneys and their clients to provide substantive speaking opportunities to less experienced attorneys during any of the Court’s motion hearings, status calls, settlement conferences, pretrial conferences, and especially during evidentiary or trial proceedings.  Recognizing that newer attorneys do not have as many opportunities to appear and argue in court, the Court will consider scheduling oral arguments on substantive motions if a party requests such arguments and commits to entrust the argument to an attorney who has been out of law school for fewer than six years.     

The fifteen (15) page limitation on all memoranda contained in Local Rule 7.1 shall be strictly enforced. A motion for leave to exceed that limit shall not be granted unless warranted.

Parties must attach to their memoranda copies of any cited authority that is only published on electronic database, such as Westlaw and Lexis. Parties also should attach any cited authority that is unpublished in the West National Reporter System.

Illinois cases should be cited to both Illinois Appellate Court Reports and N.E.2d.

Parties may not use Artificial Intelligence to draft their memoranda or as authority to support their motions. 

Briefing schedules are generally set by Court order. A motion for extension of time shall not be granted except on a showing of good cause. The circumstances warranting an extension shall be set forth in detail by written motion.

The Court will also consider motions at scheduled status hearings, so long as the notice requirements of Local Rule 5.3 have been met.

Unless otherwise ordered, motions for summary judgment must be filed within 45 days of the close of discovery.  In order to avoid disruption of the Court's trial schedule, untimely motions for summary judgment will not be considered.

Motions for summary judgment and responses must comply with Local Rules 56.1(a) and 56.1(b), as well as the procedures outlined herein. All statements of undisputed material facts and their responses shall be filed separately from the memoranda of law and shall include the line, paragraph, or page number where the supporting material may be found in the record.

Failure to abide by the Local Rules may result in the Court striking briefs, disregarding statements of fact, deeming statements of fact admitted, and denying summary judgment. See Buttron v. Sheehan, No. 00 C 4451, 2003 WL 21801222 (N. D. Ill. Aug. 4, 2003).

The movant shall not file more than 80 statements of undisputed material facts without prior leave of the Court. The respondent shall be limited to 40 statements of undisputed material facts without prior leave of the Court. In complex cases, the Court may request that the parties submit a timeline of events in addition to the statements of undisputed material facts.

If you are representing yourself, please refer to Local Rule 56.2 - Notice to Pro Se Litigants Opposing Summary Judgment.

The Court sets firm trial dates. All parties should be prepared to proceed on their trial dates.  The Final Pretrial Conference will be held at least 10 days before trial.  In the event that a date for the Final Pretrial Conference has not been previously set, the parties are to obtain a date from the Courtroom Deputy.  Unless otherwise ordered, motions in limine are due two weeks before the Final Pretrial Conference.  Responses to motions in limine and the final pretrial order are due one week before the Final Pretrial Conference.  For jury trials, the Final Pretrial Order does not need to contain findings of fact unless the parties agree and stipulate to the findings.   

For criminal cases, the Government must also submit a written certification that it has reviewed its obligations under Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963) and Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150 (1972) and has disclosed all material exculpatory and impeachment evidence to the defense as of the date of certification.

FINAL PRETRIAL ORDER IN CIVIL TRIAL CASES

The purpose of the Final Pretrial Conference in a civil or criminal trial is to avoid surprises and to streamline the trial. At the conference, Judge Coleman will address pending motions in limine, witness and exhibit lists (including the pronunciation of witness names), objections to witnesses and exhibits, and proposed voir dire questions, and will discuss trial procedures and scheduling. Lead trial counsel fully prepared and with authority to discuss all aspects of the case must attend.  Any media/technical needs for presentation of the case by either side should be made known to the court at that time.

The Court directs counsels’ attention to Local Rule 54.2, which permits the Court to tax the parties for the cost of unused jury panels. 

The parties should review Judge Coleman's Trial Procedures in advance of the final pretrial conference. 

The parties' initial submissions of jury instructions with the final pretrial order, and any subsequent submissions prior to the formal jury instruction conference, are to comply with the requirements set forth in this Court's directions concerning final pretrial orders. 

The parties are required to meet and confer regarding jury instructions prior to the formal jury instruction conference with the Court, which will occur as soon as possible after the close of the plaintiff or prosecution’s case.

Once the jury instruction conference has been held, it is the parties' responsibility to provide the Court with jury instruction packets to be issued to the jury.  The final instructions are to be unnumbered and are not to have titles or reference to the _assets/_documents/_forms/_legal authority or pattern instruction on which they are based.  They are to be printed single sided without page numbers and are not to be stapled or otherwise bound. 

The parties are responsible for ensuring that all of the approved instructions are consistent in style and formatting.  The parties are to provide enough copies of the jury instructions for each juror, and five additional copies for counsel and the Court.  An electronic copy of the instructions in Microsoft Word format must also be sent to this Court's proposed order inbox.  

7th Circuit Pattern Jury Instructions

Individuals who make the serious decision to represent themselves are referred to by the Court as pro se litigants. If you are a pro se litigant with a case in this district, theDistrict Court Self-Help Assistance Program may be able to provide you with assistance regarding your case. The help desk attorney operates by appointment only. Appointments are made at the Clerk’s Office Intake Desk on the 20th floor or by calling 312-435-5691.

Use of the help desk attorney is not a substitute for an attorney. You should seriously consider trying to obtain professional _assets/_documents/_forms/_legal assistance. Below are lists of organizations that may be able to offer you free or low-cost _assets/_documents/_forms/_legal assistance or a referral to an attorney if you can afford to pay for _assets/_documents/_forms/_legal services.

Free or low-cost _assets/_documents/_forms/_legal services

Referral Services

Additional Resources/Information:

Local Rule 56.2 - Notice to Pro Se Litigants Opposing Summary Judgment

Filing a Civil Case Without An Attorney: A Guide For The Pro Se Litigant

Title VII and Section 1981: A Guide for Appointed Attorneys in the Northern District of Illinois

The Americans With Disabilities Act An Age Discrimination In Employment Act: A Guide for Appointed Attorneys in the Northern District of Illinois

Magistrate Judges handle a myriad of civil and non-felony criminal cases at various stages. Too often litigants are unaware of the efficiencies to be gained by having their cases tried before United States Magistrate Judges.

The court strongly encourages counsel to inform their clients of this option, and to discuss it with opposing counsel.

Judge Coleman follows the Local Patent Rules for the Northern District of Illinois in all patent cases, unless ordered otherwise.

Local Patent Rules

LPR Appendix A

LPR Appendix B

Estimated Patent Case Schedule