The Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is hosting the Annual State of the Court Address on June 14, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Chief Judge, Honorable Rebecca R. Pallmeyer, will discuss major developments and future plans for the Northern District of Illinois.

The event is being hosted at the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S Plymouth Ct, Seminar Room-5th Flr, Chicago, IL.  Lunch will be provided.  Click here to register.

The Northern District has implemented a great addition to the ECF system. In cases with a referral, typically to a magistrate judge, filers will now have to select which judge a motion should be directed toward. Practically, this is a great addition because in limited instances motions were routed incorrectly and could end up in limbo.

Here are the images from the Clerk:

Pending Referrals

On Thursday, April 20, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CT, the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (“IPLAC”) and the International Relations Committee will host EPO attorney Alexander Korenberg, Partner at Kilburn & Strode LLP. Alexander will share his insights on technical effect in the EPO, and how it relates to patenting Artificial Intelligence (AI) inventions.

This event is $15 for Members and $45 for Non-Members.  Please register by clicking here.

On Thursday, March 30, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (“IPLAC”) and DePaul University’s Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology (CIPLIT®) will host a lecture series on the Amgen v. Sanofi case.  Join Professor Joshua Sarnoff (DePaul University College of Law), John M. Augustyn (Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd.) and Eric J. Hamp (Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.) for an interesting lecture on a case that deals with patent applications and enablement. 

This hybrid (in-person and online) program is free.  RSVP by clicking here and provide how you plan to attend.

The Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association invite you to their Twenty-Third Annual Awards for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Ceremony.  The Ceremony will take place on Monday, May 1, 2023 beginning at 2:00 p.m at the James Benton Parsons Memorial Courtroom, Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, 25th Fl., 219 S. Dearborn St., Chicago.  The Keynote Speaker will be Matthew Moschella, President of the Federal Bar Association. 

Please RSVP by April 21, 2023 to ProBonoAwards@ilnd.uscourts.gov.

The AIA Trials and Litigations Committees of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC) are hosting a March Madness Happy Hour today, March 16, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Kindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails, 202 S. Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60606. Join us for an exciting evening of networking and March Madness games.  Appetizers will be provided by the IPLAC and drinks will be available for purchase.

The event is free for Members and $25.00 for Non-Members. Please click here to register.

The Northern District of Illinois is upgrading their CM/ECF system.  Please plan accordingly as the CM/ECF system will be unavailable Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 6:00 a.m. through 5:00 a.m. Monday, April 3, 2023. 

This upgrade will improve security measures and enhanced performance.  Users will not notice any changes to CM/ECF as the modifications will only take place in the background.

The Northern District and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association are seeking nominations – no later than April 7, 2023 – for outstanding pro bono and public interest representation in civil and criminal matters before the Court.

Factors considered include: 

  • dedication to pro bono or public interest work;
  • outstanding achievement resulting from the representation of a large group of indigents, successful representation in a difficult case, outstanding negotiation and settlement skills in achieving a result without trial;
  • extraordinary number of hours committed to pro bono work; or
  • other distinguished performance. 

Nominations must be based upon work in the Northern District on matters that are complete and no longer pending before the Court.

Nominations using this fillable form may be emailed to: ProBonoAwards@ilnd.uscourts.gov.

Awards will be presented at the Court’s twenty-third annual awards ceremony on Monday, May 1, 2023, at 2:00 pm.

On Tuesday, February 28, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. CT, the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC) is jointly hosting a virtual event focusing on the impact of bias in the legal profession with the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.  Julia Roundtree Livingston and Stephanie Villinski, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, will discuss how to identify and challenge biases and how to develop the skills in order to address difficult topics such as race, gender and identity. 

This virtual event is $15 for members and $45 for non-members.  Please register by clicking here.

On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CT, The Richard Linn American Inn of Court and the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (“IPLAC”) are hosting an interactive panel discussion focusing on lessons learned in evaluating whether lawyers are satisfying their responsibilities competently and diligently, and with integrity and satisfaction. 

In advance of the meeting, questions were posed to Inn members relating to issues addressed and lessons learned regarding our responsibilities as lawyers. 

Questions might include:

  • “how do you competently and diligently satisfy the responsibilities that we have as lawyers,”
  • “how can we, as lawyers, be good public citizens having special responsibilities for the quality of justice,”
  • “what do you believe we lawyers should strive for in the legal profession,”
  • “do you have suggestions to others about thinking of these issues,”
  • “do you have suggestions to leaders in the profession about these issues,”
  • “how can we realize personal satisfaction in our responsibilities as lawyers,”
  • “how can our career and life goals be consistent with our responsibilities as lawyers,”
  • “if you had to do it all over again, would you do anything differently to satisfy such responsibilities,” etc.

Survey results will be circulated before the meeting. 

At the meeting: there will be panel discussion followed by interactive discussion with audience members, with all discussion lead by moderators (we will have more than one moderator).  

There will be three phases:

  1. panelists go around and give their perspectives on the above questions and survey results,
  2. moderators pose questions to panelists, and
  3. moderators pose questions to, and invite questions from, audience regarding the above questions and survey results. 

The virtual event is free for IPLAC Members.  Click here to register.