Judge Jeffrey T. Gilbert
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:
Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Courtesy copies
- 1 copy • Within 3 Business Days
Motion In Limine
- 2 copies
Pretrial Order
- 1 copy
Adjournments
- Expedited transcript requests must be made at least 7 days before trial.
- Pretrial Order drafting timeline: 21 days (plaintiff draft), 14 days (defendant response), 7 days (meet-and-confer).
Communication
Page & Word Limits2 rules
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Trial briefs are required as part of the Pretrial Order in bench trials. Ordinarily, Judge Gilbert will not accept trial briefs in a jury trial, unless he has granted a prior motion to file such a brief or ordered the filing of a trial brief sua sponte. Any trial briefs shall be limited to 15 pages without leave of court.
Summary: Trial briefs required for bench trials (15 pages max), jury trials only with leave.
Trial Brief
15 pages
Applies to: Attorney
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Absent prior leave of court, each side is limited to a total of five (5) motions in limine.
Summary: Each side limited to 5 motions in limine without leave of court.
Structured details unavailable. See the source text.
Document Format Requirements1 rule
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
The Pretrial Order either should be placed in a three-hole binder or clipped at the top left corner of the document, with tabs on the right side.
Summary: Pretrial Order must be in three-hole binder or clipped with tabs.
Document Filing Requirements6 rules
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
the attorney for each party with principal responsibility for the case shall be personally present and prepared to discuss all aspects of the case. If the principal attorney’s office is outside the Northern District of Illinois, that attorney may seek leave to be present by telephone, but local counsel must be present in person.
Summary: Principal attorney must attend initial status hearing in person; out-of-district attorneys may request telephonic appearance.
Document Type
Initial Status Hearing
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Any motion in limine filed by a party must be accompanied by a statement that the party has conferred with the opposing party and has that the opposing party actually intends to offer the evidence that the movant seeks to exclude.
Summary: Motions in limine must include meet-and-confer statement.
Document Type
Motion In Limine
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Mandatory?
Following the meet-and-confer process, it is responsibility of plaintiff’s counsel, with full cooperation from defendant’s counsel, to assemble the Pretrial Order for submission. The Pretrial Order should be submitted filed on the CM/ECF system with a cover page setting for the case caption and the title FINAL PRETRIAL ORDER. The cover page must: (a) recite that each of the foregoing categories of materials is included; (b) must state that “This Order will control the course of the trial and may not be amended except by consent of the parties, or by order of the Court to prevent manifest injustice;” and (c) must be signed by counsel for each of the parties and contain a space for the Judge Gilbert’s signature.
Summary: Pretrial Order must be filed on CM/ECF with specific cover page requirements.
Structured details unavailable. See the source text.
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Important?
Non-compliance with any of these requirements will subject a party and/or counsel to the imposition of sanctions.
Summary: Non-compliance with Pretrial Order requirements may result in sanctions.
Document Type
Pretrial Order
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Note?
Joint reports are strongly encouraged. If the parties cannot agree to a joint report, however, they may file separate reports. Alternatively, and preferably, the joint report should state all parties’ positions as to disputed matters.
Summary: Joint status reports strongly encouraged; if parties cannot agree, separate reports permitted or joint report should state all parties' positions on disputed matters.
Document Type
Joint Status Report
Machine summary. Not checked yet.Note?
The Court has a limited number of evidence projection systems which may or may not be available depending on how early a request is made. Any such request should be made to Judge Gilbert’s Courtroom Deputy. Parties will be permitted to use their own projection systems, upon reasonable terms, if a request is made in advance of trial.
Summary: Evidence projection systems require advance request to Courtroom Deputy.
Document Type
Projection System Request
Filing & Service rules
Courtesy Copy Requirements
Joint status report required with courtesy copy to chambers 3 business days before initial status hearing.
the parties are required to file a joint status report with the Clerk of the Court, and deliver a courtesy copy to Judge Gilbert’s Chambers (Room 1366) at least three business days before the initial status hearing unless otherwise ordered by the Court.
Machine summary. Not checked yet. · Civil cases
Page 1 | STANDING ORDER FOR INITIAL STATUS REPORT
One courtesy copy of Final Pretrial Order required for Chambers.
An original and one (1) copy of the Final Pretrial Order shall be submitted delivered to Chambers.
Machine summary. Not checked yet. · Civil cases
Two courtesy copies of motions in limine required for Chambers.
Two (2) courtesy copies of any motions in limine shall be delivered to Chambers in accordance with the Local Rules.
Machine summary. Not checked yet. · Civil cases
Pre-Motion Conference Requirements
For disputes about the scope of preservation efforts, the parties must meet and confer and explain their positions; unresolved issues should be raised promptly with the Court.
If there is a dispute concerning the scope of a party's preservation efforts, the parties or their counsel must meet and confer and fully explain their reasons for believing that additional efforts are, or are not, reasonable and proportionate, pursuant to Rule 26(b)(2)(C). If the parties are unable to resolve a preservation issue, then the issue should be raised promptly with the Court.
Checked against the court's document on Oct 4, 2026 · Civil cases
Page 6 | Principle 2.04 (Scope of Preservation)
Before seeking discovery about another party’s preservation and collection efforts, a party must confer with that party about the need for the discovery and alternative ways to obtain the information.
Accordingly, prior to initiating such discovery a party shall confer with the party from whom the information is sought concerning: (i) the specific need for such discovery, including its relevance to issues likely to arise in the litigation; and (ii) the suitability of alternative means for obtaining the information.
Not confirmed. Read the court's wording below. · Civil cases
Page 5 | Principle 2.04 (Scope of Preservation)
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
Pretrial Order drafting timeline: 21 days (plaintiff draft), 14 days (defendant response), 7 days (meet-and-confer).
Plaintiff’s counsel has the responsibility to prepare the initial draft of the Pretrial Order and must provide a draft to defendant’s counsel no later than twenty-one (21) days before the date the Pretrial Order is due. Defendant’s counsel must respond in writing to plaintiff’s draft by no later than fourteen (14) days before the Pretrial Order is due, including any objections, changes, and additions to plaintiff’s draft, as well as defendant’s portions of the draft Pretrial Order (e.g., defendant’s witness list, exhibit list, and objections to exhibits and deposition testimony listed by plaintiff). The parties must meet and confer by no later than seven (7) days before the Pretrial Order is due to discuss their respective drafts and to reach agreement to the extent possible.
Machine summary. Not checked yet. · Civil cases
Expedited transcript requests must be made at least 7 days before trial.
Any requests for daily or other expedited transcripts and real-time reporting must be made at least seven (7) days prior to trial so that an appropriate court reporter can be assigned to the trial.
Machine summary. Not checked yet. · Civil cases
Chambers Communication Rules
Counsel encouraged to meet in person or by phone to discuss joint status report; discouraged from trading dueling drafts by email.
Counsel are encouraged to meet in person or by telephone to discuss the joint status report. Trading dueling draft reports by email without any other communication is discouraged.
Machine summary. Not checked yet. · Civil cases
Page 1 | STANDING ORDER FOR INITIAL STATUS REPORT